Kaerimichi
by the inner penguin
Summary: Project long since abandoned. It's been left here only to remind me that the horror of Mary-Sueness can strike anyone at any time without warning. Please don't bother reading it. Thank you.
1. Chapter 1

It was that strange place again. Corey let her gaze wander about the landscape that was becoming more and more familiar; she dreamed about it a lot these days. But where was it? The land was greener than anything she'd ever seen, and they certainly didn't have skies this clear in Tokyo. Even the air seemed cleaner.

The buildings that could be seen in the distance appeared in good condition, maybe even new, at least from her vantage point. But… they looked like houses in old paintings and history books. Corey smiled as she strolled leisurely across the grass. She must have been studying too hard.

The young schoolgirl stopped; there was someone else here. She turned around, looking for the strange presence she had just felt only to find herself quite alone. How odd… she had been sure… Turning back around, Corey gave a start.

A magnificent bird stood before her, crimson plumage glittering in the afternoon sun. Corey was speechless- never had she seen such a creature. It looked almost like… a phoenix. Warm comfort radiated from the great beast like tangible heat, and she found herself inexplicably drawn to it. She took one step toward it then another. It was calling to her, beckoning her closer with its large, sparkling golden eyes. She could have sworn that, at any moment, it would speak.

"Kou, are you paying attention?"

  


The dream world vanished instantly, replaced by the familiar sight of tables, chairs, and fellow students. She'd fallen asleep in Study Hall again. Corey sat up so quickly that she upset her chair, uttering a small cry as she fell backwards with it.

A chorus of laughs rang out, washing over the disoriented girl. She blinked a few times, regaining her composure. A pout tugged at her lips, and Corey chucked one of her fallen books at the boy who had been sitting opposite her. He echoed her yell, losing his balance as well in trying to avoid the projectile text. The laughter of the others at the table burst out even louder.

"Kouri!" the boy whined in his thick Japanese accent.

"Alekusu!" Corey whined right back, her own voice still holding its east coast American twinge.

"Oi!" yelled the Study Hall professor. "Keep it down or you'll all get detention!" His words left a less-than threatening impression on all the teenagers as the bell rang, signaling the end of the school day. Goodbye's were muttered as the students packed up and hurried out, leaving Corey and Alex still sitting on the floor.

"Look at that, you almost got us all in trouble, you klutz," Alex sniped jestingly.

"What!" Corey countered. "You totally started it. It's all your fault."

"Me? I can't be held responsible for laughing at you when you're being a total doofus."

"Doofus!" Corey picked up another book with mock menace. Alex threw his hands up in defense, shaking his head.

"All right, I give. Yeesh, you're a savage."

"And you're a priss. See? This is why we work so well together. It's all about balance." Nodding sagely, Corey stood up and began collecting her things.

"Yeah, yeah," Alex replied with a roll of his eyes. "Whatever you say. Come on," he continued as he retrieved his own belongings. "No cram school today. I want to get some ice cream to celebrate."

Corey chuckled, swinging her backpack over her shoulder. "Ice cream? All you ever eat is junk. You're gonna get fat if you keep this up, you know."

"Hey!" Alex exclaimed indignantly. "Who asked for your opinion anyway, kaijuu?" Knowing exactly what kind of reaction the nickname would evoke from the redhead, he pushed away from the table and sprinted for the door.

"_Don't call me that!_" Corey yelled, darting after her best friend, a string of threats tumbling out of her mouth as she went.

  


It was early evening by the time Corey and Alex returned to their house. With the weather having been so nice, the two had opted to do their homework in the part and lounged about afterward, simply enjoying the sunlight. As the day wore on, they both reluctantly accepted that they must return home.

Stepping through the front door, Alex kicked off his shoes and dropped his backpack haphazardly on the landing before running further into the house. "Mom, we're home! Whatever you're cooking, it smells delicious."

Corey smiled and shook her head. That boy had a bottomless pit in place of a stomach. She slid off her own shoes, taking a moment to put Alex's away properly as well. She hung her backpack up, retrieving his from the floor, placing it on the hook next to hers, and started making her way to the kitchen.

Jessica Noble, Alex's mother, stood in front of the stove, her hands moving gracefully from one bubbling pot to another. Every burner on the range top was occupied. Without missing a beat of her cooking rhythm, Jessica turned her head to greet her charge.

"Oh, Corey, you got a package today," she said, hands still stirring and working automatically. "I put it up on your bed, dear. I think it might be something else from your parents' estate."

Corey's heart jumped at the mention of her parents, but the sudden jolt of pain that shot through her was masked by a well-placed smile.

"Thanks, Mrs. Noble," she replied politely. "I'll take a look at it after dinner."

"Please, Corey," the older woman started as she dumped the contents of one of the pots into a colander. "You're been living here for months. Your mother and I were good friends, and I've known you since you were knee-high to a grasshopper. You don't have to keep calling me 'Mrs. Noble.' 'Jessica' will do just fine."

A small smile alighted Corey's features. "Thanks, Jessica." The name felt strange, but comfortable coming out of her mouth. She could definitely get used to it, though.

  


All in all, Corey thought she did a fantastic job containing her excitement about the mystery package all throughout dinner, cleaning up after dinner, and dessert. It was getting rather late by the time Corey could inconspicuously steal away to her room for the night. Once inside, she rushed to the small parcel lying in the middle of her bed. She felt like a kid on Christmas as she ripped the wrappings off, nearly giddy with anticipation.

It was a book, and a rather old one at that. The red leather bindings were worn soft with time and felt as smooth as silk beneath Corey's fingers. Pages that must have once been crisp and white were now wrinkled, the edges yellowing with age. She brought the ancient-looking tome closer to her face, breathing in its scent. She smelled moth balls and cedar, a hint of the sweet perfume her mother used to wear, and the sharp odor of Grandfather's pipe. It smelled timeless.

Corey pulled the front cover open. Immediately, she could see discolorations where oils from someone's hand had touched the pages many times; this book had been well-loved. She ran her own fingers across the weathered paper almost respectfully, a wide smile splitting across her face.

A knock at her door brought Corey out of her reverie. "Come in," she called out, lowering the book to give her visitor proper attention. Alex's head popped in past the slightly open door. "Hey."

"Hey," he greeted in return as he padded the rest of the way into Corey's room. "So, what's this mysterious package mom mentioned?"

Corey's hand traced again across the faded leather affectionately before answering, her happy expression still in place. "It's the story Grandma wrote about her and Grandpa and Aunt Yui."

Alex gawked. "The one she used to read to you when you visited?"

Corey nodded her confirmation.

"Oh man," Alex breathed. "I can't believe you actually have it. You've _got_ to let me read it all the way through sometime. All the things you told me about it… You _have_ to."

"Okay, okay," Corey said with a laugh. "Calm down before you start hyperventilating or something." She laughed again when her friend stuck his tongue out at her. "Oh, yeah, that's mature."

"Kou!" Alex whined, his accent poking through again. "You're so mean."

Hazel eyes rolled before settling again on the sandy-haired boy.

"All right, well, you can rant and rave about Grandma's awe-inspiring imagination tomorrow. I'm going to sleep. Don't argue with me!" she cut in quickly as Alex began to open his mouth. "And no, you cannot 'just borrow' the book for the night, so don't ask." Alex's mouth closed completely in a pout.

"You're no fun at all," he grumbled light-heartedly, smirking ever so slightly as he slipped out of the room, casting a good-night wave at Corey.

With a sigh, the girl laid back against her pillow, still holding the volume and tracing fingertips over the faded gold lettering. Her father had treasured this book above all of his other possessions. Corey considered it a small miracle that it had been recovered and returned to her; it made it seem as if she could at least have a piece of her father and her grandparents with her.

It was sad, though, that a book was the only family she had anymore.

With that thought, Corey closed her eyes and let herself drift off to sleep, the book clutched firmly against her chest.

In the darkness of the room, a red light glimmered softly.

  


Corey opened her eyes to the gentle glow of day. Sitting up, she quickly realized that she was not in her room. She was seated in a field of grass more lush and rich than anything in the parks near her house. Ancient-style buildings loomed in the near distance. She was back in the dream world.

Rising to her bare feet, Corey decided she might as well wander around before she woke up. The walk to town went quickly. It was a bustling place full of open markets and bazaars, people selling and buying, coming and going. Everyone was dressed in traditional robes, from the simple to the elaborate. It was amazing to see, and Corey couldn't help the smile that touched to her lips.

The farther into the city she meandered, the more people stopped to stare. Corey couldn't blame them- she was only wearing a slip of a nightgown. Had any of this been real, there would have been no end to her embarrassment. She simply smiled when she noticed someone gawking, fighting the urge to giggle when one of her spectators jerked their heads away guiltily.

A long, low groan caught Corey's attention as it emanated from a narrow ally just ahead. Walking tentatively forward, she peeked around the edge of the building that made up one of the ally's walls. Someone- a young man by the look of him- was crumpled on the ground, doubled over even as he leaned against the building side. Corey approached the stranger, curious.

"Are you okay?" she asked the still-moaning man.

"Our friend is sick." The reply came from behind Corey, making her jump a little from surprise. She whipped around to face the newcomer, also spotting four others crowding the entrance to the little side street. "But medicine is so expensive," he continued. "Maybe you should give us your money so we can buy some." A chorus of chuckles followed the statement, but promptly stopped when the group of thugs realized that the girl they were attempting to rob was laughing as well.

"How funny!" Corey exclaimed, clapping her hands together. "I wonder what part of my subconscious you're supposed to be!"

The robbers all exchanged confused glances, seeming to simply not understand why this little girl wasn't terrified.

"Whatever," said the one who had spoken earlier, dismissively. Corey identified this one as the leader of her imaginary band of thieves. "Just give us your money and I won't have to hurt that pretty face of yours." He pulled an old, worn-looking knife from his sash, brandishing it threateningly.

Corey giggled again. "Do I look like I have any money, you meathead?" As if to accentuate her obvious point, she gestured her hands to her pajama-clad body.

The man with the knife seemed to be getting frustrated at this point.

"I could kill you!" he growled, desperation lacing his voice. Corey knew the sound – he didn't want to look bad in front of his gang. "Why aren't you afraid!"

Corey shrugged.

"Because you're a figment of my imagination," she explained plainly. "I have this dream all the time lately, though I usually wake up before I make it this far."

"What the hell?" asked one of the thugs. "She's crazy," muttered another. "We should just take her down and sell her off to a pleasure house."

The leader seemed to be fighting internally with what his lackeys were saying and whatever it was he had in mind. "Do it," he said at last.

Immediately, Corey felt a pair of arms grab her roughly from behind- she'd forgotten about the man on the ground who had lured her there in the first place.

'Well!' she thought. 'This is what I get for sneaking extra cookies before bed. Midnight snack nightmares.' A frown crossed her features as she struggled against her dream-captor. Jeez! He was awfully strong. Corey had expected her own brain to take it easier on her. Oh well.

"Ow!" screamed the one who had been holding her, stumbling away from the girl as he shook his hand. "She _bit_ me!" he cried incredulously, showing the red mark just below his thumb.

"You idiot," the man with the knife growled. "Get her!" When a few moments passed and none of his other men rushed forward at his command, he turned and cast a confused look over his shoulder.

The other robbers were quite unconscious. Behind the knife-wielding mugger now stood a young man with flaming orange hair who was smiling widely.

"Hi," the newcomer said amiably before throwing a punch that sent the assailant flying backward into the ally. Corey jumped to the side as her would-be attacker slid past. He wasn't getting up, and his only other friend had already hauled ass out of there. Corey figured it was safe now.

"Some people just never learn," the orange-haired one said with a self-satisfied chuckle. Corey looked at him, quirking an eyebrow when she saw the man's elongated incisors. He seemed so strange- he was wearing more jewelry than she'd ever seen a boy wear, he had fangs, and surely that hair color couldn't be real. But then, she dyed her bangs, so she had no room to speak. Even so…

Realizing that she'd let her thoughts run away without her, Corey shook her head, smiling embarrassedly. "Thanks, I-"

The fanged stranger was staring at her with such intensity that it made Corey shiver right down to her core. Those yellow eyes bored into her straight through- it almost felt as if he were looking directly into her soul. It was the most unsettling feeling she'd ever had, but she couldn't tear her eyes away from his. As he drew closer, Corey's breath caught in her throat. Everything in her was screaming for her to turn, to run, to get back to the field she always started this dream on and _wake up_. But she was rooted to the spot.

He stopped a scant few inches away from the girl, his eyes burning with an unidentifiable something that actually made Corey blush. "…Miaka…?" the flame-haired stranger breathed, a hand slowly reaching out to the girl with the wide hazel eyes.

Suddenly, those eyes flinched shut, a scream ripping through the air as reality came crashing back. Pain unlike anything Corey had ever felt shot through her. Forcing her eyes open, she found the source of it: the old beat-up dagger she had been threatened with earlier had found its mark. The handle of the weapon protruded from her thigh, and blood poured like water from the wound.

The fanged man seemed to have come back to his senses as well, and Corey shuddered again. She had never seen such blind rage on a person's face.

She didn't understand what was happening. Surely a dream couldn't hurt this badly. But why was she still in the dream world? Hands upon her shoulders brought her focus back again. Her attacker was nowhere in sight, but the flame-haired man was kneeling over her. When had she slid to the ground? Corey screamed again when his hand gripped the knife and pulled it out.

"It hurts," she murmured through the haze of pain and blood loss.

"I know," the stranger answered softly, wrapping something around the wound. "Just hang in there, Miaka."

It was getting hard to think. Corey's brain felt like pudding, but maybe that was good news. People always woke up right before they died in their dreams, right? In any case, it took her a few moments to register the man's words.

"But…" she started, her voice sounding thick. "Miaka was… my grandmother's name…"

Corey was just barely able to catch the bewildered expression on her rescuer's face before she was enveloped in warm crimson light.

  


"Kou! _KOU!_"

Hazel eyes wavered and then opened, the familiar sight of her own bedroom blurred strangely. Corey was vaguely aware of Alex sitting next to her, holding her hand so tightly that the appendage was growing numb- though that could have been the blood loss. The lacy material of her nightgown was stick and wet, making her feel colder than she already was.

"Should've… worn warmer pajamas tonight," she managed with a grin. Why was he crying? Corey couldn't make sense of anything, least of all the strange people in uniforms that burst into her room just before everything went black.

tbc...  


kaijuu: Japanese for 'monster'

Author's Note: Well, here it is. My first attempt at literary fiction in three years. Fushigi Yuugi was the first anime series I ever saw, watching it on fansubs before it was produced in the US, and it has always had a special place in my heart, no matter how sappy or cheesy or overly melodramatic it is. That's just part of its charm, I suppose. This is my third re-write of the same story, and the first incarnation of it to ever be available for public viewing. I gladly accept constructive criticism if anyone has any to offer.

Oh yeah, and the disclaimer. I don't own Fushigi Yuugi. If I did, do you really think I'd be writing fanfics about it? Yuu Watase is an awesome artist. Check out her first manga, 'Shishunki Miman Okotowari' if you ever have the chance.


	2. Chapter 2

Harsh, unforgiving light penetrated closed eyelids, piercing Corey's unwilling retinas. She groaned and tried to wave it away in vain. With no small amount of reluctance, she opened her eyes. Everything was so brilliantly white that it hurt, and the girl couldn't help but wince.

"Am I dead?" she wondered aloud.

"No," was the soft reply. Corey turned her head slowly until her addressor came into view; it was Alex. "But you came pretty damn close."

He looked… different from the last time Corey saw him. Brown eyes were reddened and puffy, and they were underscored by dark rings brought on by absence of sleep. Worry creased his forehead and drew his lips down. Sandy hair stuck out at odd angles, looking uncharacteristically unkempt. Even his clothing matched the disheveled appearance- it looked as if he'd been wearing the same thing for days.

"God, Kou," Alex continued, "I was so scared."

Corey's head still felt foggy, and the world teetered a bit as she sat up, a gentle pair of hands helping her. A pinching sensation brought slightly glazed hazel eyes to the source: an I.V. sticking out from her wrist. The sight made the redhead a little sick.

"What happened?" she asked finally.

Alex pulled his hands back to his lap, fidgeting slightly with them. "We've been trying to figure that out," he answered, voice soft and eyes downcast. "It was the middle of the night when you screamed and woke us up. I got to your room first, and… I… There was _so much blood_, I would have been sure you were dead if you hadn't been mumbling in your sleep. Mom called the ambulance. You… you almost didn't make it, Kou. They had to give you an emergency transfusion. By the grace of God, you missed the femoral artery, but…" Tears threatened at the corners of Alex's eyes.

Corey listened detachedly, as if she was hearing it, but none of it had really happened. Not to her, anyway. Her gaze wandered down, i.v.-less hand pulling the bed sheets back. Sterile bandages were wrapped over a portion of her right thigh. So… it was true. But how could-

"Wait," Corey said slowly, Alex's words finally registering in her mind. "What do you mean _'I'_ missed the artery?"

The blonde boy hesitated again. "There was no one else in the room, Kou. No signs of forced entry or any sort of break-in. The doctors… think it was self-inflicted."

It didn't make sense in Corey's addled brain for a few moments. Self… Her eyes widened.

"They think I did this to _myself_!" she cried in furious disbelief. "Are they insane! Why on earth would I stab myself?"

"Well, there aren't a whole lot of possibilities, are there?" Alex shot back. He shook his head with a weary sigh. "I don't know, Corey. You were the only one of us who was there when it went down. What _did_ happen?"

It was an excellent question. Her short term memory was still a little blurry. But, there was something lingering right on the edge of her brain…

The phoenix.

Memories of that night came flooding back all at once. Unwrapping the book, returning to the dream world, getting mugged, getting rescued, and then… "It's impossible," Corey murmured to herself, shaking her head in abject disbelief. "It wasn't real…"

"Kou?" The redhead looked up at the sound of Alex's voice- she had almost forgotten he was there. "What are you talking about?" His words came out slowly, cautiously, worriedly. Corey recognized that look, that tone of voice.

"I'm not crazy, Alex," she hissed lowly, more than a little irritated about the whole situation. "I've been having this reoccurring dream lately. I wind up on this field on the outskirts of some ancient-looking city, but I usually wake up before I go anywhere or really see anything. Last night-"

"Three nights ago, you mean," Alex interrupted. "You've been recovering for two days."

"_Whatever_," Corey growled in response. "That night, I actually managed to get into town, where I got mugged, and this guy helped me out, but the one who was trying to rob me stabbed me… right in my thigh."

"You're saying a dream did this to you?"

Corey sighed. "I know it sounds ridiculous." Alex gave a snort which the red-haired girl promptly ignored. "But it's the only explanation I have."

"Corey-"

"Did the paramedics find the knife I supposedly stabbed myself with?"

Alex sat in quiet contemplation for a moment, his features stern with concentration. "No," he answered finally. "Look, Kou, I believe you. I don't know why, but I do. But if you tell the doctors that some ancient thug from a dream is responsible, they'll lock you up. Maybe you aren't crazy, but even you must know how absurd that sounds."

A frown pulled at Corey's lips. "Then I won't tell them."

She looked up, a mixture of scheming and determination on her face. Alex did not like the expression one bit.

"You have to help me get out of here. I need to get back to that book."

Alex smacked his own forehead with an open palm. "Hey, that's a great idea! Let's break you out of a hospital, sneak back to the house, and get you back to some weird book that you seem to think is partially responsible for your nearly-fatal wound!"

As if her best friend had said nothing at all, Corey pulled her covers the rest of the way back and swung her legs over the side of the bed. She flinched in anticipation as she grabbed the end of the I.V. and yanked it out. When she opened her eyes again, there was a trail of blood spatters leading from her one hand to the other one still holding the needle. Alex paled a little at the sight.

"I'm going with or without your help," Corey said, her voice like steel with resolve. "Without, it will be a lot harder." She slid off the thin mattress onto her own two feet, gasping at the sudden jolt of pain that shot through her right leg. Alex managed to grab her as her knees buckled under the strain.

"Really," he sighed, slipping her arm over his shoulders. "What would you do without me?" The two shared a fond smile. "Come on, we packed you an overnight back. There are a couple changes of clothes in there. It'll probably be a little less conspicuous if you're in civvies instead of a hospital gown."

With Alex's help, Corey wobbled over to the bathroom, taking the bag gratefully. "You're the best," she said with another quick smile before stepping in and closing the door behind her.

"I know," came the reply.

Corey grinned and began to rummage through the pack. A number of snacks lay on top- Alex had probably put them there to help save her from having nothing to eat but hospital food. Moving those to the side, she found her clothes underneath. There were plenty of clean undergarments, for which Corey would have to thank Jessica profusely for. Had Alex packed this bag by himself… well, she couldn't imagine him rifling through her drawers to pick out panties.

She pulled a skirt out- it would probably be easier to wear than pants at this point. A tank top and her favorite pair of mary-janes were selected as well. After dressing, Corey peered into the mirror fastened to the wall above the sink to make sure the bandage wasn't visible below the hem line. Satisfied that she no longer looked like a runaway patient, she opened the door and stepped back out into her room.

"Oh, done already?" Alex asked, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "Take your time, you know, 'cause it's not like we're in a rush not to get caught or anything."

Corey threw the bag at him.

"Stop being a jerk and help me get out of here."

  


The excitement of having escaped the busy hospital had worn off by the time the taxi pulled up in front of the Noble residence. Alex paid the driver and quickly ushered Corey inside.

"Relax," she said with a sigh and a shake of her head. "The neighbors don't know what happened. You can stop being paranoid now."

"I will stop being paranoid when this whole ordeal is over, okay? You think a book stabbed you. I don't think you're being paranoid enough."

Hazel eyes rolled. "I did not say the book stabbed me. But it might have something to do with it. I don't know."

"Not that I'm saying I don't believe you, but… How could it?" Alex followed the redhead through the house to her bedroom. The leather-bound volume was still lying on the floor where it had fallen a few nights ago. The room looked untouched, save for the fresh sheets on the bed. He leaned against the door jamb. "I mean, it's just a book."

Corey limped farther into the room, finally making it to her bed where she sat and retrieved her heirloom. It seemed normal enough, just holding it like that. But certainly, there had to be something special about it…

"Didn't you ever see 'The Never Ending Story'?" asked Corey with a mocking grin as she pulled open the cover. Alex just gawked at her.

"You _can't_ be serious."

"Why not? If a movie can do it, why can't it be possible that maybe, just maybe, something in real life could affect the fabric of reality? Especially in dreams, when the mind is most susceptible?" She was still smiling as she began thumbing through pages.

"Are you listening to yourself, Kou? Books don't alter dreams, and they certainly don't suck people into them like in-"

Alex's words were cut off, the sentence forever unfinished as a painfully brilliant light suddenly erupted from the tome in Corey's hands. He heard her scream, but could only grope blindly for the girl under the onslaught of radiant crimson.

"Kou!" he screamed back as he tried to find her. After a scant few moments, as suddenly as it had come, the light vanished. Alex blinked rapidly, trying to get rid of the flashing spots that obscured his vision. As his eyes cleared, dread sank into the blond boy, feeling like a brick in his stomach.

The bed was empty but for an old leather-bound book, which was glowing a faint red.

  


Corey's eyes fluttered open. What had just happened? A power surge? It was possible. An amazingly blue sky loomed above the dazed girl, and she registered somewhere in the back of her mind that a moment ago, she had been indoors.

She sat up so fast that it almost made her head spin. The sight that greeted those wide, hazel eyes made Corey's heart skip a beat.

"No," she murmured, tentatively pushing herself to her feet. "No, no, this can't be happening! I wasn't asleep!" The red-haired girl stood, bewildered and more than a little afraid, once again in the 'dream' world. The pack she'd had slung over her shoulder was still there, but the book was nowhere to be seen.

She was back at the city she ventured into during the last… whatever it was. Corey was loathe to call them dreams anymore. There was no time to ponder it, though, as a voice behind the girl made her jump.

"Excuse me…"

As she whipped around to meet the voice, another angry jolt of pain flashed through her from the bandaged wound. Corey looked at the figure that was now in front of her for a moment, trying to decide if it was a girl or a boy. The clothing was definitely masculine, and the person's chest was flat, but that long purple- _purple?_- hair and effeminate face and voice were certainly throw-offs.

So lost in her own thoughts, Corey didn't notice the stranger was staring back at her, soft pink eyes widened slightly in disbelief.

She took a small step back. He didn't seem too threatening, but neither had the man who stabbed her. Being incautious had nearly lost Corey her life- she couldn't risk it again. But… there was no way she could try to fight in her condition, and running seemed just as impossible.

Shit.

"Stay away from me!" she yelled, scooping up a large, jagged rock. It felt stupid to do such a thing, but she had to do _something_ to try and make herself seem a little less helpless.

"Hey, calm down, I don't want to hurt you." The violet-haired stranger took a step forward. Corey barely hesitated before hurling the stone at the man. It had been heavy and dense, but it simply bounced harmlessly off of his chest. That couldn't be normal.

She wasn't in a position to fight, but hell if she wasn't re-thinking that running away bit. After the stranger took another step forward, Corey turned tail and took off.

Agony sang through her body, her entire right leg feeling as if it was on fire. It was excruciating, but she pushed onward into the city, never bothering to look back to see if she was being followed. Just ahead was a break in the buildings where she could see part of the bustling marketplace she had been at last time. If she could just get there without being caught or passing out, she could lose herself in the crowd. She was so close…

So consumed by her desperate flight, eyes unfocused and ears buzzing from the pain, Corey never heard the voice yelling, "Oi! Nuriko! Pack it in!" or saw the fanged, orange-haired man from before step out from in between two of the buildings.

She crashed unceremoniously into him, sending herself to the ground, and her former rescuer stumbling back and muttering a few expletives.

"What the- _You_…!"

Corey's tongue felt thick in her mouth as she tried to respond. All the colors of her surroundings seemed to be blending together, muted and fading more every passing moment. Even flaming orange hair and amber eyes were melting to brown, then getting darker and darker.

The last thing she heard before she slipped into unconsciousness was the rapid approach of footsteps, and a familiarly effeminate voice saying, "We better get her to the palace."

  


The smell of sweet incense filled the warm air in the guest quarter, giving the entire room a rather comfortably sleepy atmosphere. Corey moaned against her steady awakening, wanting nothing more than to let herself be swallowed into the soft mattress and warm blankets, surrounded by that delicate perfumed scent that reminded her so much of her grandmother…

It was the sound of her door opening some many minutes later that finally roused the redhead from her fleeting sleep. A hazel eye opened curiously to catch sight of her 'visitor', a stoutly woman carrying a large basin of water. She was still in the other world. Corey's hope that this was still a delusion was quickly dying.

"Oh!" the servant or nursemaid or whoever she was exclaimed upon seeing the open eye watching her. "You're awake. I'll have to go and fetch the others. They asked to be brought in here as soon as you woke, milady. Just rest here."

Both of Corey's eyes were open as the woman left, her brow knitted in utter confusion. Who said 'milady' anymore? And for that matter, whom had the nurse been referring to? The others…

All alone, it crossed the red-haired girl's mind to just get up and get out of wherever she was. After all, she'd already escaped one hospital today; she could certainly do it again. However, curiosity got the better of her. That, and absolute lack of strength.

So she waited.

tbc…

Author's Note: Reviews! A million thanks to MercuryMoon, Noyesgirl, and Enchanted ang3L. You really made my day for letting me know what you thought (and you made it even better by telling me you liked my story!) On a side note to any potential reviewers, namely those who don't like my story thus far, I VASTLY appreciate constructive criticism! Don't be afraid to tell me you don't like something about my writing! Criticism helps me to improve, and therefore is appreciated.

Again, thanks to those who have read, special thanks to those who reviewed. I hope I can continue to please and/or amuse you.


	3. Chapter 3

"I _told_ you!"

Tasuki folded his arms across his chest, a wide, triumphant smile on his face. He was positively beaming with victory, even more so when his friends sighed or shook their heads in reluctant acceptance that he had been right.

It had been months since he had seen the strange girl he'd thought was Miaka. When she had vanished in a burst of red light, Tasuki had hurried back to the palace to alert the others. After all, it had been about five years since any of them had seen someone from the other world. They'd all made fun of him for it, but now he was the one laughing.

Literally.

With the orange-haired warrior being far too consumed with his own self-satisfaction, Chiriko turned to the only other witness.

"So it's true, Nuriko?" the youngest seishi asked.

The former cross-dresser nodded in response. "It wasn't Miaka, but she looks a lot like her. She has the same eyes…"

Chiriko looked absolutely intrigued. His features lit up, making him appear like the excitable little boy he once was instead of a young man of eighteen years. "I can't wait to meet her."

At those words, Tasuki stopped his personal victory party, gaping at his younger comrade. "You'll believe the fag when he says it but not me!" he yelled incredulously.

"Tasuki…" Nuriko growled in warning, eyebrows narrowing.

The former bandit laughed nervously. "So, where's Mistukake? He could fix that girl up in no time," he said, eager to distract his super-strong friend.

"He's visiting little Shoka, isn't he?" Chiriko asked.

"Oh, yeah. Hotohori sent out a messenger for him yesterday, so he should be getting back before the end of the week," Nuriko mused aloud. "Maybe we can get Chichiri to pick him up on his way from Mount Taikyouku."

"I've already sent a summons for Chichiri." The three warriors turned at the voice; Hotohori had just entered the meeting hall. "He assured me that both he and Mitsukake should arrive by tomorrow evening."

Chiriko smiled. "It'll be nice to see everyone again, even under such strange circumstances. It's been a long time since we've all been together."

A wave of nostalgia mixed with guilt washed over the others. After their last adventure, everyone settled back into the lives they'd had before coming together as the warriors of Suzaku. They all made meager efforts to stay in touch, but no real concerted attempts were made. Chiriko may have become an adult, but his words still held such child-like innocence that his honesty often made people uncomfortable. But then, no one liked having to face ugly truths, especially about themselves.

Always the diplomat, it was Hotohori who stepped forward, his face mirroring Chiriko's smile. "It has, indeed. We will remedy that soon enough." Giving the boy a reassuring pat on the shoulder, he swept to the head of the table in the center of the room and sat. "So, who is this girl that seems to be the only subject of conversation in the palace?"

"Uh…" Tasuki started smartly.

"We don't know yet," Nuriko interjected. "She fainted from a wound shortly after Tasuki and I happened across her. But judging from her clothing alone… I'd definitely say she's from the other world." He had chosen the most tactful way to say it. After all, Hotohori had been painfully in love with Miaka. Granted, it had been years since the emperor had taken a wife, and almost as long since the last time their priestess was here, but the last thing Nuriko wanted to do was to bring up a potentially sore subject.

"And she looks just like Miaka!" Tasuki blurted out. Nuriko smacked his palm against his own forehead. Hotohori, however, sat forward. His features were serious, the mirth they had held moments ago gone without a trace.

"She does?"

Stepping forward, Nuriko elbowed the former bandit leader none too gently as he passed by. The nudge sent Tasuki flailing to the ground. "There are similarities," he admitted reluctantly. "But hardly an exact match." The purple-haired warrior was outwardly calm, but internally furiously wishing that his best friend would learn to keep his Gods-damned mouth shut. Hotohori had enough stress to deal with already.

"Do we know anything else about her?" the emperor asked after a moment of contemplation.

In spite of himself, the ex-concubine smiled. He remember his days in the royal harem, when he would happen upon Saihitei and hide to eavesdrop. His majesty often said 'we' in referral to himself when talking with advisors and other diplomats. It was both amusing and strangely encouraging to see he was beginning to slip back into the habit. The grin faded, though, when Nuriko realized he had no information to give. He glanced helplessly over to Chiriko, who looked just as disappointedly lost.

"Yeah," growled a voice from the floor. Tasuki pulled himself up, frowning in annoyance, but far from angry. "It ain't her first time here." If he hadn't been sore from Nuriko's love-tap, he surely would have been grinning smugly. For once, he was the only one really in the know. It was a satisfying feeling.

'_Miaka is my grandmother's name.'_

The mystery girl's words rang through Tasuki's mind. Should he tell them about that part of their first encounter? It could be important… And it did seem rather coincidental… But then again, he had no idea how popular the name 'Miaka' was in her world. And the time difference seemed totally off, if he remembered it correctly. And did he really want Nuriko smacking him again, especially if he was wrong?

That cinched it; Tasuki kept quiet. Hotohori's voice brought the bandit out of his reverie.

"The same girl you reported to me before? It seems so long ago…" Sun-kissed gray eyes slid shut as Hotohori leaned his head into his hand. What was going on? Was the legend… trying to repeat itself? He had heard rumor months before about and entire village disappearing in Sairou, but Konan seemed fine. Their economy was bustling, morale was high, and relations with the new leadership in Kutou were fantastic. Everything was the way it should be, so _why_-?

A knock at one of the doors jolted Hotohori from his thoughts, his head jerking up as if afraid to be caught in such worry. "Come in," he commanded.

The door opened and a woman the emperor recognized as one of the nurses tentatively stepped in. "Pardon me, your highness, but your guest has woken."

Hotohori stood, the others rising from their seats at the conference table as well. He smiled cordially. "Let us not keep her waiting, then."

  


Shortly after the first woman had left, another one made her way into the guest room carrying a tray laden with food and milk. "Eat up," the maid had said as she fussed with Corey's bedding. "You'll need your strength."

Corey was happy to oblige. She couldn't remember ever having been so hungry before, and everything on the tray tasted _so_ good. There were pork buns and bean cakes and all manner of beef and chicken dishes that blew away any restaurant she'd ever been to during her time in Tokyo. Never having been a heavy eater, it surprised the red-haired girl when she realized that, by the time she was starting to feel full, the tray was nearly empty.

Picking gradually at a cake, Corey leaned back against the fluffy pillows, at last feeling clear-headed enough to think. The whole scenario seemed totally surreal, like it wasn't quite happening. She had come to know the feeling well in the past year. "Ah, sweet denial," she mused aloud. Corey didn't understand what was going on, but on some base level, she acknowledged that it was real. Acceptance was the first step toward solution, wasn't it? Following that train of thought, everything from here on would only get easier. At least, that's how the theory worked.

Voices at the door brought Corey's attention back, and she looked up curiously. The sounds were hushed, but hurried, like an argument someone didn't want her to hear.

"Would you…"

"No, why should…"

"…you two, can't you… for a few minutes?"

"Stay out of it, kid-"

"Don't talk to him that way, you-"

"Enough."

The last voice that spoke boomed commandingly, and immediately, silence resettled. The door creaked softly as it was pushed open. A painfully handsome man dressed in the most lavish garments Corey had ever seen swept into the room. Everything about him screamed grace and regality; it was rather humbling to behold. Behind him followed a small entourage including two familiar faces along with a young unknown. Corey was instantly uncomfortable, feeling nervous at being surrounded by so many people she didn't know. The handsome stranger must have sensed it, for he turned to his followers and said, "Perhaps you would grant us a few moments alone."

The three lingering by the doorway all looked disappointed, but nodded and filed out, shutting the door behind them. As soon as they were gone, the raven-haired man smiled.

"My apologies," he spoke with a voice like velvet. "You must be a bit overwhelmed by all of this."

Corey found herself blushing, embarrassed by the situation even though she couldn't figure out why. "Who… are you?" she asked when she finally found her voice.

"Forgive me, I should have introduced myself. I am Saihitei, emperor of Konan. You are in my palace and, I assure you, quite safe."

Corey's head reeled. _Emperor!_ An emperor was sitting at the foot of her bed, talking to her? She wanted to react, but never having been in the presence of royalty, she had no idea how to. Instead, she just smiled, feeling terribly silly and wondering why the name 'Konan' sounded so familiar…

"What is your name?" Saihitei's voice made the redhead jump. She mentally smacked herself for drifting off like that.

"Sorry, I… I guess I am a little out of it. I'm Corey."

"Kou-ri?" Saihitei tried, the foreign name sounding unnatural coming from his mouth. It was at that moment that the girl realized she'd reverted to Japanese and had been speaking it the whole time. She was more out of it than she thought.

"Just call me Kou," she said with a shrug and a small smile. Her nickname… the one her best friend had given her. Where _was_ Alex in all of this? She hoped he was okay. But would she ever see him again to find out? What she wouldn't have given at that instant to be home again, laughing with Alex over Jessica's fantastic cooking…

"Kou?" It wasn't until Saihitei's voice spoke her name that the redhead realized she was crying.

"I'm sorry," she choked out, her throat feeling constricted. "It's just- I don't…"

A pair of arms pulled Corey into an embrace, and the girl uttered a sob. Saihitei's gentle hands held her and stroked her hair. "It is all right. You cry as much as you want to."

  


Hotohori held the trembling girl as she wept against his shoulder. Those eyes… they were Miaka's eyes. It may not have been his priestess nestled in his arms, but as this mysterious stranger sought her comfort in him, he would give what he never could to her predecessor.

  


"Che… He sure is taking his sweet time in there."

Nuriko shot a glare at his flame-haired friend. "Shh!" he hissed before pressing his ear back against the door.

"I don't think they're talking anymore," Chiriko murmured. "Maybe we should just wait until Hotohori comes out."

"And miss the good stuff?" Nuriko said incredulously. "You're such a novice."

The youngest seishi didn't have time to respond before the door opened, Hotohori's golden-gray eyes completely unsurprised to see the group of them there. "Everyone," he greeted. A moment passed. "You can stop dancing now."

Nuriko and Tasuki halted their unimpressive (but ever amusing) attempt to look inconspicuous. At least the emperor was smiling ever so slightly. "I wish to ask that none of you disturb our guest. I have invited her to dine with us; if she so chooses to, please refrain from asking her too many questions. We are all curious, but it would be best not to upset her more than she already is."

"Highness?" Chiriko piped up.

"Yes?"

"May I ask what her name is?"

Hotohori's smile grew. Of all the questions that could have been asked, leave it to Chiriko to choose the simplest, least controversial, but most useful one. "Kou," he answered just before one of his attendants approached and muttered something about a farming petition that required his attention. "Excuse me," he said to the other warriors as he turned away.

The emperor stopped after a few steps, turning his head back toward his friends. "Try not to cause too much trouble."

Chiriko nodded dutifully. Tasuki and Nuriko merely grinned.

  


Despite their mischievous natures, neither warrior wreaked havoc across the palace grounds. They passed the few hours until dinner with wild theories about the mystery girl, all of which Chiriko denounced with irritating logic, and games. Having the reputation of a total brain without any fun side, Nuriko and Tasuki were pleasantly surprised when their younger friend came up with the best one. They spent a good amount of time with what he called 'Bigger or Better,' in which they all started off with a simple coin and had to try to convince people to give them something either larger or more valuable. They each ran about the palace, trading item after item. In the end, Nuriko won when he returned with Hotohori's palanquin, inside of which sat Houki, giggling.

"No fair!" Tasuki had pouted. He'd brought back a suit of gold-accented dress armor. "You muscle-head." Houki had only laughed harder at that.

"Maybe next time," Chiriko said. He had managed to get a hold of Boushin's imperial robes.

They all made their way back inside the palace, the empress and the youngest seishi chuckling at Nuriko and Tasuki's good-natured arguing. When they arrived at the dining hall, Houki shared a loving smile with her husband before taking her seat to his right. The others sat after her, all of them noticing the lack of their newcomer as the food was served.

Unasked questions hung in the air, the topic of the other-worlder poignantly avoided during the meal. Curiosity ate away at all of them, but Hotohori was right- if they pushed too hard, it would probably make the girl retreat. No one would find anything out that way.

At the end of supper, Hotohori and Houki excused themselves to go discuss matters of the kingdom with their advisors, and Chiriko left to go read over a legal journal he'd received a few days ago. Tasuki and Nuriko lingered about after requesting a number of bottles of sake be delivered. What was there better to do when directly ordered to butt-out of the most interesting thing to happen in years than to drink and reminisce?

"Hey, Tasuki," Nuriko started as he broke into the first bottle, "do you remember the trip to Hokkan?"

  


Kou's stomach growled again as she limped through the deserted corridors. She hadn't eaten in hours, and her body was quite content with reminding her. When the maid had come to get her for dinner, she'd pretended to be asleep. It wasn't as if she weren't lonely, but she still doubted she could have dealt with all those people at once. The problem now was that she was _starving_, but had no idea where the kitchens were, or if there would be anyone there if she ever found her way.

How did people navigate this place without a map! A smile crossed Kou's face as she imagined Saihitei looking around confusedly and asking directions from his servants. Surely, he knew his way around, but it was still an amusing image. Continuing along, the faint sound of voices began to filter into the silence. At last! Whoever it was would help her out, right? Her stomach rumbled again, urging her onward.

The voices grew louder, signaling to Kou that she was on the right track. Boisterous laughter erupted from a room just up ahead, and a light shone through the spaces around the door. Bingo. Corey pushed against the heavy oak cautiously, peeking inside. The purple-haired man and the flame-haired one were doubled over in their chairs, guffawing, and sake bottles littered the table.

"You got beat up by your own _horse_!" the effeminate one gasped between laughs. "I can't believe I missed that!"

"At least I didn't get slapped around by a girl!" A fresh wave of laughter burst forward. The fanged man stopped laughing, however, when he caught sight of the pair of eyes in the doorway. For a split second, Kou thought he looked like he had seen a ghost. But as quickly as the surprise had taken over his features, they melted away to a lopsided smirk. He poked his friend, who looked over to her as well.

"You can come in, you know," the violet-haired one called out. "We don't bite." He smiled at her so welcomingly that Kou allowed herself to slip the rest of the way into the room. "Well, that's a start. Have a seat- you shouldn't be standing on that injury."

How could a total stranger be so aloof? Kou would have thought that kind of instant familiarity would annoy her, but it was oddly comforting.

"Actually, I... um, I was just looking for the kitchen. I'm a little hungry."

"Nonsense. That's what servants are for." One pink eye winked at the girl as the beautiful man rose from his seat and made his way to another door. He pulled it open and muttered something to the person on the other side. "See?" he asked when he had reclaimed his seat. "Isn't that easier than staggering around on a bad leg?"

"Yes," Kou replied, a little embarrassed. "Thank you." She moved to the table and sat down opposite the pair. The flame-haired man Kou recognized as her rescuer finally spoke.

"We ain't supposed to bug you, but you are from another world, right?"

The other man sighed and shook his head. Kou fidgeted in her chair at the question.

"I… guess I am. This definitely isn't Tokyo."

The effeminate one chuckled at that. "Thank Suzaku for small favors." The two men laughed at the little joke, but Kou didn't hear them; that name was setting off klaxons in her head.

Suzaku.

Suzaku no miko.

Suzaku shichiseishi.

Realization washed over her in a sickening wave, memory after memory of her childhood and her grandparents bombarding her. "It wasn't a story at all," she whispered. The laughter stopped almost immediately, the focus now intensely on the redhead. She looked up with wide, startled eyes. Unbeknownst to her, the expression sent chills through her companions. "It was all true…" Finally her eyes focused, glancing between cautiously intrigued pink and amber eyes. Kou drew a slow, shaky breath.

"I remember you."

tbc…

Author's Note: -does the 'I-got-reviews' dance- Thanks again to everyone who read and commented on the last chapter. I meant to have this one up a few days ago, but was being wonky when I tried to sign in, and I completely forgot that I hadn't updated until today. Sorry. ;

So, yes, the plot thickens. I know that a lot of this still probably seems a little off, but explanations will come. Please don't give up on me yet!


	4. Chapter 4

"I remember you."

The two men's faces fell completely serious at Kou's words. She stared at them, her own features an amalgamation of nervousness and incredulous recognition.

Violet hair and effeminate beauty… "Nuriko," she breathed. The other… Fangs and that weird mountain accent... "Tasuki…" Saihitei, emperor of Konan. "Hotohori. Oh, my God…" Kou sank in her seat, feeling as if someone had knocked the wind out of her. "They were just stories grandma read to me as a child… I never…" her words trailed off as she lost herself in thought.

"Shit," Tasuki murmured. It hadn't been his imagination running away with him- she really was related to Miaka. The quiet curse seemed to jar Kou back to reality. She looked back up to the two warriors, her hazel eyes changing from confused to burning with resolve.

"What is going on here!" she demanded as she sat forward. "I want an explanation!"

Nuriko shuddered at the girl's expression. Miaka, having been so gentle, only looked that way a handful of times. But when she had, it meant business. It may not have been Miaka sitting there in front of him, but in that very moment, it might as well have been.

"We know as much as you do about what's going on," he offered quickly. Kou was obviously upset- who wouldn't be? - and the last thing anyone needed was Tasuki jumping the gun if he went on the defensive. "It's not much, and I'm sure that isn't the answer you wanted to hear, but we have no idea."

The red-haired girl stood. "Then tell me what I need to do to find out."

"You need to sit the hell down and wait." Pink and hazel eyes turned to the flame-haired warrior. He had a look of obvious annoyance on his face and a sake bottle in his hand. For a flash, Nuriko wondered if his friend was going to throw it at the girl. Instead, Tasuki slid it across the table to her. "Have a drink. Chill out."

"_Chill out!_" Corey yelled, upsetting her chair as she stood and slamming her hands down on the table. Another clatter rang out as Tasuki did the same.

"Yes, chill out! We saved your life! You feel that pain in your leg? That's letting ya know you ain't dead thanks to us, so how about a little gratitude?"

Kou gave a start; she didn't know what she could say to that. Her hands slid off the tabletop, and her posture relaxed. Nuriko glanced nervously between the two.

"Maa, never a dull moment," he said, trying to alleviate some of the tension.

"Perhaps we've come at a bad time no da?"

All eyes turned at the emergence of a new voice. A wide, but slightly embarrassed smile greeted them. Kou looked the newcomer over; sky blue hair seemed to defy gravity the way it stood, and the kesa-clad man was lightly gripping a staff. A monk, perhaps?

Aah! Of course!

"Chichiri!" three sets of surprised voices chorused. The recently arrived seishi regarded Kou for a moment. Even though she couldn't see his eyes, she knew he was looking her right in her own. Unlike the previous times in which the others she'd met had stared, she was strangely at east with this one.

"You must be the girl Hotohori mentioned," he said simply but curiously. "I hope Tasuki hasn't been causing you too much trouble no da. He can be a bit of a handful no da."

"She started it!" Tasuki yelled.

"You see what I mean?"

Kou couldn't help but smile even as Tasuki fumed behind her, the anger she'd felt moments ago gone.

"Chichiri," Nuriko started as he glanced around, "where's Mitsukake?"

"Ah, he's waiting in the infirmary no da. I hope I won't be interrupting the festivities if I borrow our new friend for a bit?"

"Not at all," Kou said immediately. "I think I'd like a change of company anyway," she finished, casting a dirty look back at the flame-haired man.

"Great!" Chichiri exclaimed as if the little exchange between the girl and Tasuki had not even occurred. "Follow me no da. We don't want you to get lost. This place can be such a maze, na no da."

Kou smiled quickly at Nuriko before turning to follow the monk out of the dining hall. After the door swung shut behind them, the girl realized she still hadn't eaten. "Chichiri? Can we have some snacks or something delivered to my room?"

"Of course no da," he answered much to Corey's delight. A few silent moments passed. "May I ask you something?"

Kou stopped. His voice had changed; it was lower and no longer care-free. She held back a gasp when the warrior turned to her, the smile gone and a scar over one eye, the other at last visible. He had taken off the enchanted mask.

"Yes…" she replied slowly.

"We have never met before. How did you recognize me?"

Kou had known the question would come up sooner or later, but she didn't think it would be _so_ soon. She fidgeted a little, shifting in place. It was going to sound outrageous no matter how she put it, so there was no point in trying to sugar-coat the answer.

"My grandmother told me all about you guys."

"Miaka?"

"…Yes," Kou admitted after a slight hesitation.

"You have her eyes," Chichiri remarked, and the red-haired girl smiled, albeit with the slightest bit of exasperation.

"So I've heard from every person who's ever met her." Another silent moment passed. "I never thought her stories were real. She never tried to convince me they were, either. Why didn't she tell me it was all true?"

As if anticipating the question, Chichiri answered with one of his own immediately. "Would you have believed it?"

Kou contemplated it for a few seconds. "No," she finally said.

"That is why." The blue-haired seishi reset his mask in place, signaling the end of their conversation. "Let's go. We don't want to keep Mistukake waiting no da."

  


The trip back to the hospital wing went quickly and quietly. Corey found herself both gratefully surprised and surprisingly disappointed that Chichiri didn't ask anymore questions on the way. A part of her wanted to talk, to start figuring things out, but the other part dreaded it for what she might discover.

Entering her room, Kou was greeted by the sight of an older man with a small cat on his shoulder chatting with the younger boy she had seen with Tasuki, Nuriko and Hotohori just earlier that day. The elder was surely Mitsukake, but she still couldn't quite place the other.

They both looked up from their conversation as Kou and Chichiri walked in. "Chichiri!" the younger boy exclaimed, stepping toward the monk.

"Chiriko, you're looking very well no da," he replied as he discreetly led the way out. "Tell me, how are things at…" As the voices dissipated, Kou could only stare.

"_That_ was Chiriko!" she said in disbelief. "I didn't even recognize him. He's all… grown up!"

"I know the feeling." That deep voice pulled the redhead's attention back to the healer sitting beside her bed. There was such fondness in his tone and his eyes that, if she hadn't known better, Kou would have been certain Chiriko was this man's son. "Well," Mistukake continued as he shifted his chair, "let's take a look at that leg."

Sighing softly, Kou slid onto the mattress with her legs extended in front of her. Mitsukake set to work removing the bandage with more care and gentleness than she ever would have expected from a weathered forty year-old physician. Hazel eyes narrowed in disgust as the wound became visible. It was a jagged, dark red gash surrounded by furious purple and blue bruises, the outer edges of which had begun to turn a sallow green. It stood out, ugly and bold against the perfect skin surrounding it. Alex surely would have fainted at the sight. Kou usually had an iron stomach, but even she was a little grossed out.

"I've seen worse," the healer spoke with a little smile. "At least it isn't infected. You'll be just fine." Holding his hand just above the wound, a faint green light emanated from the crimson symbol Corey couldn't see, but knew was there. Mere seconds passed before the glow vanished and Mitsukake pulled his hand back to his side. Regarding her leg, Kou was amazed to see the skin where she had been stabbed as good as new. There wasn't even a scar.

"Thank you so much," she said, still a little awe-stricken. Mistukake smiled again.

"If you truly appreciate all of this, perhaps you would consider speaking with his highness. He wants to help you. We all do."

Corey was speechless. She remembered her grandmother telling her how kind the Suzaku shichiseishi were, but she hadn't thought that they would be so understanding. It made her feel terribly selfish. After all, they were just as mixed up as she was. It wasn't fair that she think only of herself.

"I will," she replied with a nod.

Mitsukake seemed pleased with her answer and stood to leave just as one of the servants knocked and entered with her food.

  


"Shit, shit, shit, _shit_!" Alex screamed. After Corey had vanished, he'd searched the entire house for any sign of her in vain. He had just returned to her room where the ancient leather-bound book sat serenely on the bed, mocking him. "Where is she!" he cried, snatching the volume up. In his panic, he thought to burn the tome and force it to flush her out.

'_It's just a book,'_ he thought, trying frantically to calm down. _'It's just a freak evil book that kidnapped my best friend! But if I destroy it, I might never get her back.'_ That last thought sobered the boy a little, and he sank weakly onto Corey's bed. "There has to be something I can do…" he lamented aloud even as despair began to settle.

Alex had known the redheaded girl his whole life, as his parents had been friends with hers. It felt like losing a sister, but knowing that she was out there somewhere. Or, rather, that she was in the book somewhere…

He closed his eyes in concentration, trying to recall everything Kou had ever told him about her visits to her grandparents. The book that he held in his hands was the very same one Miaka and Taka would have read from, so maybe it could provide at least some insight as to what the hell was happening.

But… if Miaka and Yui, and now Corey had been taken, would he be at risk? He had to think… Wait! He remembered when he was about five years old, hearing the summary of the chapter Corey had just been told. It had something to do with her great-uncle Keisuke reading the book while Miaka was in it. If all of this was true- he felt insane for considering that- then maybe the book didn't take boys…

Alex resolved himself. Whether it sucked him in or not, he had to get Corey back. He opened the front cover, bracing for a light to swallow him up that never came. After a few moments, when he decided it was safe, he began to read.

"Story of a girl… made all her dreams come true… Come on, gimme the good stuff," he murmured, flipping a few pages until something caught his eye. "Priestess of Suzaku… All right, Miaka, tell me what the hell is going on."

  


The morning greeted Kou with the music of songbirds and gentle sunlight dancing through the windows. It was so peaceful not being jerked from sleep by harsh alarm clocks or a blaring television. She lay restfully in her comfortable bed until breakfast was delivered, deciding that afterward, she would find Hotohori and start talking things over. She would have to look for Tasuki as well so she could apologize. It wasn't as if she weren't grateful for him saving her life- twice, even- but something about the fanged man just pushed her buttons.

Contentedly full on rice, milk, and the most delicious fish she'd ever had, Kou finally got out of bed. The overnight bag Alex and Jessica had packed was still in her room. While the silk robes she'd been provided were exquisite, she would be happy to be in her own clothing again.

Opening the pack, Kou was surprised to find the outfit she'd arrived in sitting on top, cleaned and folded. They'd even managed to get the blood stain out of her skirt. A smile rose to her face as she slid the garments on, delighted to also find a small bag of ponytail holders and a small string of beads that had almost gone unnoticed. Kou's heart gave a throb at the sight of the friendship bracelet. She and Alex had made them for one another over a decade ago, and still wore them to this day despite that it was a little obvious they were made by six year-olds. Fastening the bracelet over her wrist, Kou set out for the grounds to begin her search.

Outside, the sun shone brilliantly. A gentle breeze carried the sweet sound of Chiriko's leaf flute and invited the trees and grass to sway and dance with the music. Corey strolled along, taking in the beauty and serenity of it all, her good mood accentuated by the lack of pain in her leg.

Stepping off the veranda into the soft grass, she decided that, when she moved out of Jessica's, she was buying a house in the country. It was strange, how at-home Corey felt here, as if she'd always belonged. As she followed the outlay of the grounds, a familiar figure came into sight.

"Nuriko!" she called out, hurrying toward him.

Pink eyes glittered jovially in the sunlight as the warrior turned. "Good morning," he chirped back. "You seem to be feeling better," he added, regarding the redhead's smile as she caught up to him. Kou kicked up her right leg.

"Good as new."

"Luck, lucky," Nuriko chuckled. "I was starting to wonder if your leg was just going to fall off."

"Hey!" Kou cried with mock indignity, and the warrior laughed again. He wagged a finger at the girl.

"Don't feel bad. If I didn't like you, I'd treat you better."

Corey laughed this time. "Is that how it works? Then Tasuki must love me."

"He's a good guy," Nuriko said fondly. "Give him time. He'll come around."

Kou fell silent, chewing over the seishi's words. If she remembered correctly, Tasuki had been a lot of trouble for her grandmother, too, at first. "All right," she answered after a while. "I'll give him another chance." As the pair rounded a corner, the red-haired girl could see the emperor on the other side of the grounds, walking with Chichiri. "I have to go," she said hurriedly, starting away from Nuriko. "If you see Tasuki, please tell him I'm sorry about last night." Without giving the warrior time to respond, she took off running toward the pair across the way. "Hotohori!"

The raven-haired man turned at the sound of his name, his expression one of pleasant surprise as the redhead jogged nearer. A stray rock caught the girl's foot, sending her sprawling onto the grass.

"Kou!" the emperor called, rushing worriedly to her side. "Are you all right?"

Corey looked up sheepishly, an embarrassed smile on her face. "I'm fine," she answered as Hotohori helped her to her feet. "I'm just such a klutz sometimes." She brushed herself off, picking a few blades of grass out of her skirt. "I… I want to apologize for the last couple of days-" Hotohori held up a hand to silence her.

"It is unnecessary. Take as much time as you need."

Kou smiled again. How could a person be so kind and understanding with a complete stranger? _'My world could use more guys like him,'_ she thought fleetingly. "Thanks, but it's okay. I'm ready to talk."

Hotohori considered her words for a moment, and then nodded. "Very well. Chichiri," he called back to the monk still standing on the balcony, "gather the others. We will meet in the conference hall. Unless," he paused, turning back to the other-worlder, "you wish to speak in private?"

"No," Corey answered with a shake of her head. "I think it would be easier having everyone there. They're all going to hear about it anyway, and hearing it first hand would eliminate misinformation and rumors."

Hotohori smiled, the expression making Kou's heart beat a little faster. "A wise decision," he complimented, gesturing the way back inside with a sweep of his arm.

They walked in silence; the only sound to be heard was their footsteps resonating in the wide, empty corridor. Just minutes ago, Corey had felt confidently resolved in her choice, but now there were butterflies in her stomach. She stopped.

"Hotohori?"

The emperor halted as well, turning to face her. "Yes?" Kou shifted in place, scuffing the toe of her shoe on the floor.

"Do… you think I'll ever get home?"

"I have no doubt," he answered gently, reassuringly, and without missing a beat. Comforted by those words, the red-haired girl smiled and hurried back to the warrior's side. Everything would be okay… They entered the conference hall, the other five warriors, as well as Houki, already seated and waiting. Hotohori took his place at the head of the table as Kou settled into the chair at the foot so she could see everyone at once.

"I guess," she said after a few moments, "that we should start at the beginning."

tbc…

Author's Note: Sorry this took so long to get up. I just recently acquired a new Playstation, and Kingdom Hearts II has been pwning my soul. Thanks to my reviewers for keeping me inspired to continue on with this story (I'd keep writing it anyway for my own satisfaction, but you guys are the reason I continue to put in online).

On a side note, it doesn't look like this story is going to end any time soon. I hope you guys are in for a long haul… :P


	5. Chapter 5

The silent anticipation was so thick it could have been cut with a knife. The five warriors, excluding Hotohori (who remained composed as always), were all leaned forward a bit, waiting for the redhead to speak.

"Miaka Yuuki… The Priestess of Suzaku…" it felt strange saying those words- "…was my grandmother." Shock flashed over everyone's face but Tasuki's and Chichiri's, and Kou squirmed a little. "So I guess your Tamahome was my grandfather," she continued a little awkwardly. "We used to visit Grandma all the time, and whenever we did, she would read me stories of this… grand adventure before bed. I always thought she wrote the book herself, but…" She shrugged.

A quiet moment passed before Chichiri spoke. "You say Miaka and Tamahome- no, Taka, _were_ your grandparents."

Corey wished the monk had just asked the question he'd hinted at. But, it seemed, he was going to make her explain. "They died… almost ten years ago. Mom… mom found them curled up next to each other in their bed. She said they had never looked more peaceful."

Uncomfortable silence hung heavily in the air. Kou couldn't imagine that had been easy for any of them to hear, and she hated that Chichiri had forced her to say it. It would have come out eventually, but still… She got the distinct feeling that the monk had done it purposefully.

"Wait a minute." Nuriko's voice shattered the quiet. "How can that be? It's only been five years since we last saw her. The timing doesn't fit."

"That's a damn good point," Tasuki added none too happily.

"I- I don't know," Kou admitted. "I don't know exactly how time works here."

"Hotohori, do you remember when we sent Miaka back to her world? She said she was only there half a day, but three months had passed here," Nuriko said.

"Wait," Kou started slowly. "Tasuki, how long was it in between my appearances?"

He thought for a moment. "Two months. Why?"

"Because in my world, I was there for three days before I came back," the redhead explained, realization lighting her face. "I knew it! Time isn't constant between the worlds! I remember uncle Keisuke telling me about the other priestesses when grandma got to the part in the story about the shinzaho. The priestess of Byakko was here… um…"

"Two hundred years ago," Chiriko interjected.

"Right! But then the priestess of Genbu came a hundred and ten years later, but in my world, it was almost immediately. And then grandma and aunt Yui ninety years later, when in my world it was over sixty years!"

"Unbelievable," Hotohori breathed.

"But even so," Mitsukake spoke up, "why are you here?" Silence fell again at the question; no one had an answer to give.

Kou took a deep breath. "I don't know… but… A few months ago, I started having these dreams. They were of this place. Well, not here exactly, but in the open fields overlooking the city. At first it seemed random, but then the dreams got closer and closer together until I was having them almost every night. And then… the night I inherited the book, they…" her voice trailed off. It sounded too outrageous to say they stopped being dreams, even if it was true. "That's when this all really started, I guess."

Nuriko chewed on his lip thoughtfully. "Could it be a mistake?"

"No," Kou answered quickly, although a bit distractedly. "Otherwise the-" She had almost said 'book'. Not knowing for sure whether they all knew that or not, she decided to leave it be. "Otherwise I think I would have been spit out back to my world like aunt Yui was."

"But she came back," Chiriko argued.

"Only because there was a call for a priestess," Kou shot back.

"Then I don't think we should ignore the possibility that you could be another priestess of Suzaku no da."

"Isn't there only supposed to be one per god?" Tasuki asked blankly.

"The gods work in mysterious ways," said Mitsukake. Corey grinned at that.

"That they do," Hotohori uttered mysteriously. "If you are Miaka's granddaughter, then you share the same genealogy as the priestess of Suzaku…"

"So you're saying it _could_ have been a mistake. That the forces that brought me here might think I'm my grandmother." A hush fell at Corey's last words. The conversation had just very quickly gone full circle and revealed only that no one had any solid idea of just what the red-haired girl was here for.

"If I might make a suggestion no da…" All eyes turned to Chichiri as he spoke. "Perhaps we should see Taiitsukun about this." The other warriors began to murmur, but Kou didn't hear them as her heart skipped a beat. Taiitsukun had sent her grandmother home; maybe she could do the same thing again.

Hotohori turned to his wife, concern written obviously over his perfect features. "Houki-"

"Saihitei," she cut him off chidingly with a smile. "Go. I can manage things here quite well."

"Come on, Hotohori," Nuriko whined. "A road trip! It'll be just like old times."

The emperor closed his eyes in contemplation. The anxiety in the room was high, everyone waiting in trepidation for his answer. Finally, after a moment, he sighed. "Get rest. We leave in the morning."

  


For the life of her, Kou could not sit still. She paced the room back and forth, her mind restless. How long would it take to get to Mount Taikyouku? What if something terrible happened on the way? Would Taiitsukun even be able to send her home? What if… what if she really was the new priestess of Suzaku? Or at least, if the book thought she was… would _it_ let her go?

"Why am I here!" she cried out to no one. Flopping onto the bed, Kou buried her face into the pillow. "I just want to go home…"

A knock on the door made the redhead moan in miserable frustration. Who would be visiting her at this hour anyway? Was it really too much to ask to be alone? She pondered pretending to be asleep, but that would have been poor manners. Kou lifted her head just enough to yell, "Come in!" before dropping it again to the soft down cushion. She wouldn't make the person leave, but if he really wanted to talk, he would have to deal with her mood.

"Somehow, I don't think asphyxiation is going to help you," said a pointedly feminine voice. With mild reluctance, Kou lifted her head to greet Nuriko with a deadpan glance. The warrior had a tray in one hand but rested the other on his hip at the look, shaking his head. "I brought you a snack."

Kou eyed the laden tray for a moment as Nuriko set it down and seated himself on the foot of the bed. "I don't think I can eat right now," she murmured, pushing the goodies toward her purple-haired friend. "My stomach is all in knots."

Nuriko goggled at the statement. "Can't eat! Miaka would have chewed off my arm by now just to get to this stuff. And that would have been if she wasn't really hungry!" He chuckled, but Kou only frowned and pulled her knees into her chest.

"I'm not Miaka."

The smile fell from Nuriko's face, a sheepish embarrassment glittering in his eyes. "I know that," he said softly. "We all know that. I can't imagine how irritating it must be for you to have to sit around and hear 'Miaka this' and 'Miaka that'. But… try to understand, we all loved your grandmother very much. She was our priestess. She was the reason we exist. That kind of person leaves a hell of an impact on those she meets. No, you aren't her, but having you here brings back a lot of memories for us." He paused and smiled lightly. "I sound like Chichiri."

In spite of herself, Kou smiled, too, but it was fleeting. "It's just… it's hard enough to live up to my own expectations without having my grandmother's shadow over me. I- I know it isn't fair to be envious or resentful for her past, but…" she sighed heavily. "I don't want to be her replacement. I just want to be me."

"I know what it's like to be in someone else's place," Nuriko said. His expression had fallen as well to a sorrowful understanding. "To live in someone else's shoes… It's no way to live. I don't- _none_ of us want to put you in that situation. We don't want you to be Miaka, but maybe you could let us remember what it was like to have her here."

"Maybe," Kou murmured as she fidgeted with her sheets, eyes downcast.

"Give it another day or two for the shock to wear off and everyone will be back to normal."

"We'll see."

"Honestly," Nuriko sighed as he rose from the mattress, the movement garnering a sidelong glance from the redhead. He was smirking again. "Miaka was never this gloomy."

Hazel eyes narrowed even as a ghost of a smile tugged at Kou's lips. "You ass," she said, amusement evident in her voice, and threw a pillow at the violet-haired man. He let it bounce off his head. "Go on, get out. A girl needs her beauty sleep, you know."

Nuriko bowed mockingly and reached for the tray.

"Wait," Kou blurted as he started pulling it away. "Maybe I will have a bite or two."

The smile on the warrior's face as he left spoke more than any words could have.

Corey settled under the sheets and chewed thoughtfully on a dumpling; eating in bed was a luxury she rarely afforded herself, but she didn't have to clean up the mess here, did she? In just a few hours, she would depart for Taiitsukun's, and everything would be okay. She had to believe that. Just a couple of days, and she would have her own story to tell her grandchildren.

  


Nothing! There was absolutely nothing here except Miaka's story, and he already knew that! Alex had figured that maybe _something_ in the god-forsaken tome would help him, but there was nothing!

"What am I going to tell mom!" he bemoaned out loud. It would only be a matter of time before she came home and realized Corey wasn't in the hospital or here. "Gee, ma, Kou-chan's been sucked into an evil book that almost killed her grandmother. No worries, it happens all the time, apparently!" His voice grew louder until Alex shouted the last word, throwing the leather-bound volume in his rage. It hit the wall with a dull thud and fell to the floor. The anger in the blond boy dissipated as he saw the page it was open to, only partially written. With slow, cautiously disbelieving steps, he approached the book.

A large number of blank sheets followed the half-written page that had not been there before. It seemed impossible, but if a book could take someone into it, the idea of it spontaneously growing more pages wasn't so preposterous. Alex kneeled and hesitantly retrieved the tome.

"Nuriko left the Chosen Star to sleep in preparation for their journey," he read aloud. Chosen Star? That had to be Corey… but what did it mean? It wasn't a phrase he remembered seeing in the original story. Something new… just for her? But why? _'I can't do this alone,'_ he thought despairingly. Alex wracked his brain for who he could turn to. Miaka and Taka passed away ages ago. Kou's parents might have known something… if they were still alive. Keisuke Yuuki was gone, too, so-

"Yui!" Alex yelled, the realization hitting him like a ton of bricks. The last he heard, Miss Hongo was still alive and well. Now, if he could just remember where she lived… Book still in hand, he rushed to his bedroom and hit the power button on his computer. "Come on, come on," he muttered as the laptop seemed to take hours to boot up. As soon as the system was ready, his hands flew over the keyboard.

"God bless the internet," he said absently as he pulled up an online phone directory. Alex typed furiously for a few minutes and a satisfied smile spread across his features. "You can find anything." She was living in Kyoto now, it seemed. It was going to be one hell of a train ride, but at least he knew where to go. He scribbled down the address on a scrap of paper and rose from his chair. Within minutes, Alex had thrown together a quick travel bag complete with snacks, his cell phone, and the book.

The blond-haired boy paused at the front door. Who knew how long this was going to take? He would have to leave a note for his mother lest she go out of her mind with worry. Making his way into the kitchen, Alex retrieved a pen and scrawled a message on the notepad stuck to the fridge.

'Mom, took Corey out for the day. Don't worry, we're fine. I've got my phone if you need to call. See you later.

-Love, Alex'

With a sigh and a twinge of guilt, he slung the travel bag over his shoulder and left the house, heading for the train station.

  


"Kou!" The yell of her name along with an incessant pounding on her door jarred the redhead from sleep. She groaned, wincing at the sunlight and pulled the covers over her head.

"Go away!" she screamed back moodily. Corey had slept restlessly through the night, too saddled with anticipation to get any real sleep. She felt as exhausted now as she had when she'd lied down the night before.

"You already missed breakfast!" the effeminate voice continued. "If you don't get up now, we're going to leave you behind!"

"Nuriko, I don't think that's the best way to go about it, no da." The knocking didn't stop.

With a frustrated whine, Kou threw the sheets back and sat up. "All right! I'm coming!" she cried out. The pounding immediately let up.

"Thank you," Nuriko said as sweetly as could be. Hazel eyes glared at the heavy oak, hoping the stare would bore through and burn the warrior on the other side. Kou sighed heavily and ran a hand through messy burgundy-colored hair as she slid out of bed.

She could already tell that it was going to be a long day.

With sluggish movements, Corey pawed through her bag for clothes. Skirts were nice, and she'd love to wear her favorite one again, but they seemed terribly impractical for horseback riding. She settled instead for a pair of dark stone-washed denims and a plain white baby-tee. Sending another silent thanks to Alex and Jessica, she grabbed the sneakers that had been included in the pack.

Dressed and carrying her back over one shoulder, Kou exited the room. Chichiri and Nuriko were waiting for her there, the latter tapping his foot impatiently. The red-haired girl couldn't help but grin.

"Jeez, Nuriko, you in a hurry to get rid of me?"

The seishi balked at this, much to Kou's amusement. He frowned good-naturedly when she laughed and poked her on the forehead. "Brat," he muttered. Spinning on his heal, Nuriko started down the hallway that would lead them out of the palace. As they walked, Kou glanced up at the blue-haired monk beside her.

"You're awfully quiet this morning, Chichiri. Is everything okay?"

Chichiri turned to face the girl, eternally smiling features skewing the serious expression that lay beneath the mask. "We'll find out, na no da."

Outside, the rest of the warriors were gearing up their horses. Hotohori and Houki were sharing a fond farewell beside his steed. There seemed to be one for everybody… except Kou.

"Why don't I have a horse?" she asked, a little disappointed.

"Do you know how to ride one?" Nuriko countered.

"Well… no…"

Nuriko winked. "That's why. You'll ride with Hotohori." With that said, the violet-haired warrior left Corey's side to tend to his own horse. Alone, the redhead let her eyes sweep around; did they all have to go with her? It made sense to have the Suzaku shichiseishi around to keep tabs on the otherworlder, especially if she did turn out to be another priestess, but it made her feel a little self-conscious at the same time. It seemed far too impressive an entourage for someone as unimpressive as she.

Her eyes fell on a particular fanged someone just as he was casting a sparing glance her way. Kou still hadn't spoken to him herself, and had no idea of Nuriko had actually given him her message. Lowering her gaze from the bandit, she made her way over to Hotohori. The emperor looked down on her from tightening the saddlebags, a small smile lighting his features.

"Are you ready to go?"

Kou fidgeted with the hem of her shirt for a moment. "Yeah, but… I was wondering if you wouldn't mind if I rode with Tasuki instead." Hotohori said nothing, and the silence only intensified the redhead's awkwardness. "We kind of got into a fight the other day, and I haven't had the chance to talk to him and work things out. I… don't want to leave on a bad note with anyone."

Hotohori's smile remained, but his expression had turned almost… sad. Nuriko's words the night before flitted through Kou's mind; was this only going to remind everyone of what it was like when Miaka left them for the last time? She bit her lip gently, about to make an apology (though she wasn't sure what for) when the emperor spoke.

"If that is what you wish, I have no objections. Tasuki!" The flame-haired bandit turned at the sound of his name and trotted over. "Help her up," Hotohori said simply. A look of confusion and mild annoyance crossed the younger warrior's face. He opened his mouth to say something, but seemed to change his mind at the last second. With a quiet sight and a frown, Tasuki held his hand out for the redhead. As he pulled her into the saddle, Kou looked down at the emperor, mouthing 'thank you'.

The troupe set out a scant minute or two later. Nuriko, Chichiri, Mistukake and Chiriko were chatting idly about something or other, but Kou simply sat in awkward silence. Why were words failing her? There really was no reason to feel so jittery… right?

"Tasuki?" the redhead finally managed. Her voice had been quiet, and a strange part of her hoped the warrior hadn't heard it.

"What?" Kou winced internally, unable to read Tasuki's mood by his tone. It seemed she would just have to go for broke.

"I'm really sorry about the other night, I was completely out of line and what I said was uncalled for." The words flew from the girl's mouth so fast that they were nearly indiscernible from one to the next. Risking a sidelong glance back, Kou saw the warrior's expression scrunched in thought.

"The other night?" he asked, and a moment later, realization washed over his features. "You're still hung up on that? You need to learn to let things go."

Silence settled again, comfortable this time, and Kou just smiled as they galloped along.

tbc...

Author's Note: I told you I would explain the seeming 'inconsistency' in the timeline of the story. Thanks again, as always, to my reviewers. Hopefully in the next chapter, I can get some action going. Nothing adds to character growth like a little adversity. Also next chapter, I hope to bring out something very, very important to plot development. Writhe in the suspense of it all. )

Sorry for this one being so late. Real life has been terribly busy, but that's dwindling down. Huzzah.

On a side note, the format of my chapters recently went wonky for some reason, so I've gone through and re-edited them all. I hope it doesn't make me lose my reviews... I live on them, you know.


	6. Chapter 6

"Oh, my legs hurt!"

Kou leaned against a nearby tree for support as she rubbed at her sore thighs. They'd been traveling for a few hours when finally Hotohori suggested they take a break. Only a few hours, and Kou felt like she would never be able to walk right again. Who would have thought horseback riding would be so painful? It wasn't at all like it was in the movies, and the girl silently cursed Hollywood for its romanticizing of it.

"Don't worry. You'll get used to it," Chiriko said as he handed the redhead a flask of water which she gulped down gratefully. At least she wasn't starving anymore; she'd managed to sneak a box of cookies out of her pack as they were riding. Although, she'd had to share a few with Tasuki to buy his silence. It was a little underhanded, but Kou was hungry and didn't want to have to share with _everyone_. Besides, they'd gotten to eat breakfast, and she hadn't.

Hotohori made his way over to the girl after dismounting his horse, where she seemed to be fighting with her hair, trying to secure it in a ponytail. "How are you holding up?" he asked, a gentle concern lacing his voice.

"All right, I guess. It could be worse." The two of them shared a small smile at that. "I didn't think it would be this hot, though. What I wouldn't give for a shower right now."

"There's a pond nearby," Nuriko chimed in, having been eavesdropping as usual. "We need to let the horses drink anyway." Hotohori gave an approving nod to which Nuriko responded with a wink. "Great. Let's go."

He led the way effortlessly, keeping a slow pace for Kou, who was still rather sore. Surely enough, after a few minutes of walking, the tree line parted to give sight to a moderately-sized brook. The water was clear and blue, and looked so very inviting.

A huge smile spread across Corey's face as she kicked off her shoes and socks. It was only when she reached for her shirt that Tasuki spoke up.

"What are you _doing_!" His features were utterly embarrassed. Kou fought hard to bite back her amusement.

"It's not like I'm getting naked," she said with a teasing air of easiness. "But I don't want to sit in soggy clothes all day. Besides, I figured a guy like you would be used to girls taking their clothes off in front of him."

Tasuki's face turned as red as the beads of his necklace, though Kou couldn't tell if it was because of her words or Nuriko's raucous laughter. "_Shut up!_" he screamed, which only resulted in Nuriko laughing harder, the other warriors joining in. Since everybody was well-enough distracted, Kou took the opportunity to wriggle out of her jeans and tee, and dove into the water.

It was wonderfully cool and refreshing against dust-blown, sweaty skin. Corey surfaced with a light spray of droplets and ran a hand through her hair, already feeling a million times better. Wiping the water from her face, she opened her eyes to find six other pairs devoutly, yet discreetly, keeping watch over her.

Kou frowned at this. She didn't want bodyguards right now, she wanted friends. "Come on in, the water's great!" she called out in hopes of coaxing at least one of them in. The warriors merely exchanged a questioning look among one another. "There's no one around for _miles_," she whined. "You _guys…_"

"Oh, for crying out loud, if it'll get you to shut up…" Nuriko pulled off his outer robe and removed his slippers before making his way to the shoreline. There, with no warning, he shoved Tasuki into the water and then jumped in after him. The bandit came back up, sputtering and coughing too much to yell the obscenities that were no doubt running through his mind.

"Don't tell me he still can't swim!" Kou laughed as Tasuki scrambled for the shallow point near the bank. Once the flame-haired man reached solid footing, he turned to glare daggers at them both.

After that, everyone joined in, happy to get rid of the dirt accumulated from their journey thus far. Even Tasuki lightened up a little after he shed his waterlogged coat with a few choice grumbles and gripes. Kou swam around contentedly, delighted to be in open water again. Living in America had spoiled the girl; her family was always going to the ocean for vacation, or lakes and ponds for picnics. It wasn't easy to do that living in the heart of Tokyo, and swimming pools just weren't the same.

"Kou!" called a voice too garbled by the water to identify. Corey broke the surface and saw Nuriko waving at her. Everyone was gathered at the bank, drying off. "It's time to go." The red-haired girl frowned. She knew they couldn't waste too much time here; they had to get to a town before nightfall for lodgings. Even so, she was disappointed to have to get out of the water.

She swam lazily to the water's edge where it barely reached her knees and wrung out her hair. It had been fun while it lasted… like everything else she had experienced here so far. Flipping still-damp locks behind her, Kou saw a hand extended to her. She followed it up to find Tasuki bending to help her out of the lake. He said nothing, but he didn't need to; Kou could tell from his expression that this was his way of letting her know there were no hard feelings.

She stepped out of the water, shivering despite the hot afternoon sun as a breeze blew past. With this weather, it would only be a matter of hours before Kou would be praying for another pond to stop at. But, as it was now, she was quite comfortable, and set off to the tree line to retrieve her clothes.

  


Alex had just begun to walk away from the taxi that had dropped him off at the station when he found himself suddenly drenched. A startled yell escaped him as he jumped from surprise, furiously looking for the source of the water that was now pooling at his feet. This side of the train depot was busy, but after furtively searching, Alex couldn't find a single hose, bucket, or anything to explain why he was dripping wet.

_Corey…_

It had to have something to do with her! Automatically fearing the worst, Alex pushed his way through the crowd until he found a space just inside the station where he couldn't get jostled. He wrenched the book out of his bag and flipped to the back where his best friend's fledgling story was.

'_The Chosen Star convinced the rest of the Suzaku shichiseishi to stop at the lake for a swim.'_

Alex closed his eyes, breathed a sigh of relief, and let himself sink back against the wall. She was okay. Sliding his eyes back open, he found a new sentence writing itself on the page.

'_Unbeknownst to her or her companions, they were being watched with dark intent.'_

The fear immediately took hold of Alex again, his hands shaking slightly as he read. _'Please, no,'_ he begged silently, the next string of words appearing.

'_And as the Chosen Star knelt to gather her belongings, the enemy attacked.'_

Panic raged through the boy and consumed his mind. In his state, he did the only thing he could think of. He screamed.

"_KOU!_"

  


Alex!

Corey had just bent down to pick up her jeans when she heard his voice resounding in her ears as if he was right beside her. The red-haired girl jerked her head up just in time to see a pair of jet black eyes staring back at her, and the glint of a blade ready to descend.

She threw herself backwards with a startled cry as the sword came slicing down in the place she had just been standing. It was more than enough to catch the attention of her companions nearby. Their confusion gave way to much more serious expressions upon seeing the reason for the disturbance. In an instant, the six warriors surrounded her, guarding her.

"Assassins!" Chiriko balked as more men draped in black flooded from the tree line.

'_Why!'_ Corey thought frantically, trying to see how many there were through her comrades. _'I don't understand. It's supposed to be peacetime. Who would send killers?'_ And then it dawned on her. The same thing had happened constantly to her grandmother. _'Oh god… They're here for me.'_

For a moment, time stood still. The wind dared not breathe, the trees became as stone, and even the lake had turned to glass as if afraid to allow even the tiniest of ripples to cross its surface. For a moment, there was eternity. And then it was shattered.

The fight erupted so quickly that Kou couldn't tell which side made the first move. It was like pandemonium to the girl; she heard the clanging of metal against metal, the shouting of various spells and incantations, a roar of fire, the sounds of ancient roots being ripped up from the earth in which they were buried, and somewhere over it all, the tiny sound of a leaf flute. Everyone was fighting an unknown enemy, and for what? All because of her…

No.

Shock was melting away, being quickly replaced with anger. They were not having to fight because of her. They were having to fight because some jerk somewhere out there decided they would. Someone decided, for whatever reason, to put her and her friends in danger with no provocation, and without even having the guts to do it personally! Narrowing her eyes, Kou gritted her teeth and jumped from safety into the fray.

'_You've sparred with live steel before,'_ she reassured herself and ducked a blade just in time to keep her head. _'Yeah, but none of you partners were ever actually _trying_ to kill you.'_ Kou landed a solid kick to her opponent's face that lifted him off his feet. She was tough, sure, but she had never been able to do something like that before. Right now, Kou felt stronger and more agile than she had in her entire life. Adrenaline, she decided, was a wonderful thing.

"Kou, behind you!"

The redhead spun around at Tasuki's warning to find one of the black-clad men nearly upon her. Almost on pure instinct, she jabbed her attacker in the eye, punched him in the throat, and kicked as forcefully as she could between his legs. The assassin didn't even have time to hit the ground before he erupted into flames. Kou turned to face Tasuki who, despite the current situation, was grinning broadly at her.

"Not bad," he said before returning his attention to their struggle. It had all but ended already, black-bound bodies littering the area that had been so peaceful just moments ago. The warriors surveyed their surroundings to make sure none of the enemy was left. Out of the corner of her eye, Kou spotted a faint movement behind the trees. She dashed toward it only to see the assassin disappear into the forest.

"No!" she cried as he slipped from sight. "Damn it!" He was the only chance they had of finding out who was behind the assault. With a frustrated growl, Kou turned back to face her friends, wanting to make sure they were all okay.

Her aggravation turned instantaneously into self-conscious confusion; they were all staring at her. Hazel eyes dropped quickly to see if she'd exposed what little of her body was covered during the fight, but everything seemed to be in order. "What?" Kou asked nervously, beginning to squirm under their scrutiny.

Nuriko finally broke the silence. "…..How long have you had that mark on your back?"

"What mark?"

"The sign of the oni," Hotohori answered. "The mark of Tamahome."

  


Some distance away, the wounded assassin collapsed to his knees before his employer. The emperor had caught him with his sword along his side, and the blood loss from the cut was making him a little woozy. Ice-blue eyes stared down at him, uncaring about his condition.

"She has it, then?" asked a voice as cold as those eyes.

"Yes," the assassin answered. "As plain as day, on the small of her back."

"As I anticipated." The blue-eyed stranger turned to leave.

"What about my payment?"

The stranger stopped and slowly spun back around. "Yes, of course," he murmured. "Your reward." The weakened man barely had time to see the device his employer pulled out from his riding cloak. It was of a strange, alien shape, yet it shone in the sun as the blade of a sword would. There was a tiny sound from the long tip of it milliseconds before a chunk of metal buried itself in the assassin's brain.

Blowing softly on the end of the instrument, the blue-eyed man tucked it away, turned around, and left.

  


_Tamahome!_ Kou's mind reeled at Hotohori's words. "I…"

Chichiri stepped forward, scratching idly at the side of his face. "Maybe we should get dressed and find a more appropriate place to discuss this no da." Everyone nodded and silently set about gathering their clothes. Kou sat and laced her sneakers numbly, still trying to grasp what had been said. The mark of Tamahome… It was like trying to shove a square peg through a round hole; the idea just didn't fit.

"Don't worry, Kou," said Chiriko, pausing to give the girl a warm smile. "We'll figure this out." Kou tried to smile back, but the forced expression came out as an uneasy grimace. She sighed and lowered her head, leaving the scholar to walk away to his horse in silence. She simply couldn't think. Now, when she needed her wits about her more than every, Corey could not concentrate.

A quiet voice behind the girl pulled her from her tumultuous thoughts. "Hey." Tasuki was standing just behind the redhead, loosely holding heir horse's reins. "Come on. Let's go."

He looked at her, not with suspicion or wonder, not even with idle curiosity. He simply looked at her as one weary friend to another, and Kou would never find the words to express her gratitude at that.

The group traveled silently across the land. Everyone was at full attention, keeping a lookout for any more trouble. By the grace of the Gods, they met none in the scant hour until they reached town. Despite it only being late afternoon, the seven seemed thoroughly worn by the time they settled the horses into the local inn's stable.

Hotohori paid for their rooms and for service to bring up some much-needed food, discreetly dropping a few more gold coins to ensure privacy. With that taken care of, the troupe shuffled upstairs, eager to eat and begin discussing things. Except… no one seemed to really know what to say. After a few minutes of silence, Chiriko spoke up.

"This is all so mysterious," he commented idly. As they often did, his words immediately broke the tension.

"It's not mysterious at all," Kou said, toying with her rice. "It's just a birthmark. It flares up when I get angry or excited."

"And you don't find it strange that it's the perfect shape of a character?" Chiriko asked.

"Well… no. I mean, people are born all the time with birthmarks in the shape of countries or faces and weird things like that. It's all just coincidence." Kou bit her lip as she heard the words come out, wondering if she was trying to convince the others, or herself…

"It might be if there were no connecting factors involved no da."

Kou fell quiet for a moment, absorbing Chichiri's words. Connecting factors… Could it really be considered mere happenstance that she shared the same marking as her grandfather had once had? There was a fine line between coincidence and fate, after all. But that would mean…

"I think I'd like to be alone right now," she muttered. Nuriko opened his mouth to object, but Mitsukake's hand on his shoulder let him know that this was not the time to argue. Wordlessly, the six warriors stood and began to file reluctantly out of the room. Hearing the door finally shut, Kou looked up to find Tasuki still inside. "I meant all of you," she said darkly.

"Well, tough shit," the bandit countered, his features set in stubborn firmness. "You can't just sit in here and throw a fit 'cause you don't like what's going on."

"I can do what I damn well please!"

"Why?" Tasuki growled. "Because you're some high-and-mighty brat from another world? Or because you're special because you're Miaka's grandkid?"

Kou bristled. "Get out…"

"Grow up!"

For a while, there was only silence as the two glared daggers at one another. At last, it seemed that Tasuki was backing down as he closed his eyes and shook his head.

"Sometimes, things happen that you don't like, and you got no control over. That's life. You accept it, you get the hell over it, and ya move on. Miaka did."

"_I'm not Miaka!"_ Corey screamed. Tasuki merely scoffed as he glanced the redhead over.

"You're right. You're nothing like her." Without another word, Tasuki turned, jerked the door open, and slammed it on his way out.

Hazel eyes brimmed with tears. How could he be so insensitive! In a week, she'd been ripped away from everything she knew and loved, got stabbed, attacked by assassins, and now, to top it all off, she was… No. As long as she didn't think about it, then she could pretend it wasn't real. But in a matter of days, Corey's entire world had been turned upside down for the second time in a year, and all Tasuki could do was give her a hard time about it. And for what? For not being able to shrug it off and adjust to the idea that she was stuck here forever as a warrior of Suzaku? She wasn't even out of high school yet!

"Alex…" she mumbled miserably. Kou was certain she'd heard his voice earlier. Was he out there trying to help her? "Bring me home," she begged through a sob and buried her face in the pillow.

  


Outside the room, Tasuki winced upon hearing the muffled sound of the girl inside crying. Perhaps he'd been too hard on her… There _was_ an awful lot going on. But from what he'd been told, Miaka didn't get all depressed and sulky, and she had been younger than Kou was. Then again, Tasuki knew nothing of either girl's life in their own world, although Miaka had never seemed bothered by the idea of leaving it all behind. Maybe… Maybe Kou had something to lose.

"Shit," he swore softly, running a hand through his hair. Why was it only ever after the fact that he considered all these things that really would have been handy to think about _before_ he shot off his trap? He'd meant every word he said, at the time, but now he thought that surely there could have been a less abrasive way to say it all.

Sighing to himself, Tasuki started down the stairs to join his friends. He would have to apologize later; approaching the girl now was probably not a good idea.

The other five warriors all looked to Tasuki as he reached the first floor. He brushed past them quickly, heading straight to the bar. Nuriko tentatively sat next to the bandit, his features worried and suspicious.

"What happened?" he asked accusingly.

Tasuki downed a warm cup of sake before he chose to answer. "I hate women."

tbc…

Author's Note: Sorry for this being so late. I'm just about done with the next chapter, and kept forgetting I have to upload this one. I'm suffering from a long-term blonde moment right now. Try to bear with me.

So, finally, a little bit of action. I know the story is going slowly, but I don't want to make it seem too rushed, so this is hopefully a happy medium. Hope the few of you who read this aren't getting too bored.

Chapter 7 coming real soon!


	7. Chapter 7

Some time after Tasuki left, Kou had settled into an uneasy sleep. All manner of visions haunted her dreams: Alex's face as light engulfed them, Jessica's sad smile when she first welcomed Corey into her home, Tasuki sneering indignantly down at her, twin glossy pine coffins being lowered into the ground, a magnificent phoenix gazing lovingly at her… and finally, the image of a pair of eyes so blue they seemed to be crafted out of sheer ice woke her from slumber. Kou had no idea whose eyes they were, but the sight of them stuck fast in her mind even as the rest of the dream began to fade.

She sat up in her bed and looked around. Nuriko was snoring softly on the other side of the room. Moonlight spilled in through the window and made Kou wonder just what time it was. What time would it be at home? How many hours had passed, if any, since her disappearance? She knew the days went by faster in this place; would she get back home before becoming an old woman?

A sigh escaped Kou as she leaned on the windowsill, grateful for the gentle breeze whispering by, hoping it would carry her restless thoughts away with it. Mount Taikyouku couldn't be too far away. They would be there soon, and Kou was certain that she would find the answers to her questions there. That thought did little to help her spirits, though. On the contrary, it made the redhead feel antsier than before, knowing she was so close…

Hazel eyes glanced back to Nuriko's prone form; the violet-haired warrior was in a deep, sound sleep. It seemed a shame to wake him and ask for escort. Surely he wouldn't mind if Kou stepped out for a bit on her own…

With the utmost stealth, Kou slipped her legs over the ledge, holding onto the edge as she found footholds. She looked one more time at Nuriko and began to climb down. Again, Hollywood had deceived her; scaling walls was nowhere near as easy as it looked. Finally, she got low enough to simply drop the rest of the way, landing easily in the dirt. Brushing the dust she'd kicked up by her fall, Kou started down the road.

It must not have been too later, for the taverns and brothels were still well-lit and bustling with life. The streets, however, remained empty, and Kou was grateful for that small bit of solitude.

Pale light cast by lanterns illuminated the area, shadows dancing as the flames flickered. It gave the world around it an ethereal atmosphere that was… kind of nice. There were no cars honking, no cell phones ringing, no video billboards blaring, no constant electrical hum of neon and phosphorescent lights. There was something comforting about that.

The peace was shattered as a tavern door burst open, spilling light and music and laughter into the street. Kou jumped with surprise, eyes automatically drawn to the doorway where a coated figure was forcefully tossed out into the road. A large, solid man leered down at the extricated body. He appeared slightly singed, a tiny curl of smoke rising from the end of his moustache. "And stay out, ya lousy drunk!" the man snarled and slammed the door shut.

Kou took a step toward the figure on the ground, concerned, but was stopped as the person unfolded from his curled position. Without even seeing the face, that bright orange hair assured the girl that the 'lousy drunk' in question was Tasuki.

"Son of a… Shouldn't've got in the way, stupid ol'…" Tasuki mumbled as he picked himself up. He flashed a rude gesture at the door, straightened his coat, and turned to walk away only to freeze in his tracks at the sight of the girl in front of him. She did not look happy to see him.

"Uh…" Tasuki said cleverly. Without a word, Kou turned and began to walk away. "Hey, wait!" He jogged a few steps to catch up.

Kou whipped her head toward the bandit, hazel eyes narrowed at him. "I do _not_ want to talk to you," she said, still walking briskly. Tasuki, to her annoyance, had no trouble keeping up.

"Will you just gimme a minute?"

"No, go away."

"I want to talk to you."

"That's nice. People in hell want ice water."

Kou let out a startled gasp as a hand wrapped around her arm and jerked her around. She threw out a reflexive punch which Tasuki caught, as if he'd anticipated it. The sharp insult she'd had for the warrior died on her lips as she met his eyes. The amber orbs seemed to smolder intently, gleaming in the waning light.

"I'm sorry about what I said. You didn't deserve it."

Kou was speechless. His intense expression and their uncomfortably close proximity were making her insides squirm. He'd looked at her the same way when they had first met, when he had thought she was Miaka.

That realization snapped Kou back to reality. _'We don't want you to be Miaka, but maybe you could let us remember what it was like to have her here.'_ Nuriko's words echoed in her mind. Tasuki wasn't apologizing to her; he was apologizing to Miaka _through_ her.

"Sure," Kou answered, unable to keep the disappointment she felt out of her voice. "No problem." She moved to turn away, but Tasuki's hand on her arm pulled her right back facing him. "What are you-"

"What's wrong?" he cut her off, his tone demanding an answer more than asking for one. Kou met his eyes for a moment before dropping her gaze to the ground. She wished he would stop looking at her like that…

"Nothing," she lied quickly. "Let me go." She made a weak effort to pull away, but Tasuki's grip held firm.

He snorted. "Bullshit. Tell me."

"I…" Kou hesitated, starting to feel a little shaky. "I don't…"

"Tell me!"

Suddenly, Kou looked up again. Her eyes had a hard edge to them, and it reflected in the rest of her features. "You want to know! Fine! I've just been told that I might have inherited my grandfather's destiny in another world. I've almost been murdered, _twice_, in the last week, and to top it all off, I've been ripped away from my home, my friends, my school, my life, and what little family, however unofficial it might be, that I had left, and all I hear is how somebody else before me did it better! _Is that what you wanted to hear!_"

Kou's eyes brimmed with tears that she futilely tried to blink away. Tasuki, on the other hand, looked like he'd been slapped. The domineering edge he'd had just moments ago had fallen away, leaving shame, sympathy, and guilt it its wake.

Tears defiantly fell from the girl's eyes. He had done this to her… he may not have been responsible for all that had happened to Kou, but his words were the straw that broke her back. And now, she was standing here before him, crying.

When Kou pulled away again, Tasuki didn't fight her. His arms fell weakly to his sides, and a strange, detached feeling washed over him. The redhead had turned her back to him, standing a few steps away, holding herself. Tasuki breeched one of those steps.

"Kou…?" he asked, voice uncharacteristically soft and repentant.

"Just leave me alone," Kou whispered back over her shoulder.

The flame-haired warrior winced internally at that. He wanted to grab the girl, spin her around, and… And what? _Force_ her to feel better? It was with great reluctance that Tasuki finally took a small step back. "…All right," he murmured, taking one last look at Kou before turning to retreat back to the inn.

Alone with only the distant sounds of night life, Kou settled on the ground, curled up, and cried herself to sleep.

  


Ice-blue eyes watched the red-haired girl in her slumber. How easy it would be… She was all alone and completely unaware of anything happening around her. The temptation was painful to ignore, to try and sublimate.

The shadowy figure standing over the girl knelt; even in the low lighting, he could see the salty tracks of tears recently shed. No, she was not ready yet. He could only hope for such an opportunity as this in the future when she would be stable enough to include in his plans.

A hand reached out, fingers running feather-light through burgundy colored hair. Close enough to touch, and yet…

"We shall meet again," the man murmured, rising to his feet. "Until then… rest well. You'll need it." And with that, he was gone.

  


Tasuki awoke the next morning feeling slightly hung-over. His head was throbbing, his stomach tense, and he felt generally miserable. The worst part of it was it wasn't alcohol that was making him feel this way. He hadn't harbored this much guilt in years, not since…

Since Miaka…

But even _that_ incident had an explanation; the bandit had been possessed, and not in control of his own mind or actions. This, though, had been one hundred percent Tasuki jack-ass charm. Maybe Kou would take his apology to heart and let the whole issue drop. Maybe.

Running a hand through his hair, Tasuki reluctantly got out of bed.

As soon as he opened his door and stepped into the hall, he was almost knocked over by a very flustered-looking Nuriko.

"Tasuki!" the violet-haired warrior exclaimed as he righted himself from their near collision. "Have you seen Kou? She wasn't in the room this morning when I got up."

Tasuki's stomach lurched. "Didn't she make it back last night?" Nuriko's expression changed instantly from harried to borderline furious. His eyes narrowed.

"Back from where?" he asked darkly.

_Fuck_, Tasuki swore internally. "We… uh, got into a little bit of a fight last night in town. I guess she didn't tell ya where she was goin'… But she told me to leave her alone, so…"

"Oh, Tasuki…"

"I thought she'd come straight back! I wouldn'ta left her in that ally if I thought she was gonna _stay_ there!"

Nuriko let out an angry, frustrated growl. "Idiot! I can't believe you left her out there by herself! _Especially_ after that attack yesterday." He grabbed Tasuki by the collar of his coat. "If anything happens to her, so help me Suzaku, I-"

"Nuriko."

Both warriors' eyes jerked their eyes toward the sound of Kou's voice. She was standing awkwardly at the end of the hallway, looking utterly weary, but unharmed. Dropping Tasuki, the violet-haired warrior rushed to the girl and pulled her into a hug.

"I'm okay," Kou murmured against his shoulder.

"Dummy," Nuriko said back. "I was worried about you." Letting the embrace linger, Nuriko finally pulled away and led the girl down the hall. "Come on, let's go let everyone know you're okay."

Tasuki opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came out as Kou walked past without so much as a glance in his general direction. It would seem she was still a little upset about their tiff. And as payback, it was the silent treatment. Great. Just great.

"Damn it…" Tasuki muttered and started down the hall to the ground floor, wondering if it was too early for a bottle of sake.

The rest of the warriors were already gathered in the dining room of the inn, fussing over Kou as she tried to assure them all that she was fine and promising not to scare them all like that again. Nuriko detached himself from the group and approached the bandit. He had his lecture face on, and Tasuki had to bit his tongue not to groan at the idea of an impending speech. But Nuriko didn't say anything.

For a minute, there was only silence between the two.

"Kou will ride with me today," Nuriko finally spoke. In a few hours, we'll be at Mount Taikyouku, and this will all be over."

There was sadness in Nuriko's voice that Tasuki could not help feeling as well. The truth was he didn't _want_ this to be over already. Of, at least, part of him didn't. Sure, outwardly he wanted to go back to the peaceful calm of life as Genrou, yet at the same time, this was what he was born for. That part of the self, of the soul, was hard to ignore.

"Yeah," Tasuki replied with a noncommittal shrug. "Sure. Let's go."

  


The sun hanging low in the sky painted the world a brilliant orange. Kou was certain that there would never be a sunrise like this anywhere in her world. She committed every detail she could to memory; after all, she would never see such a sunrise again. Nor would she see skies so blue, vegetation so green, or any of the Suzaku shichiseishi…

It was strange: even though they had just met, Kou grew up with them, knowing their names and stories. Leaving now felt like saying goodbye to lifelong friends. But she had friends that she really _had_ known her entire life waiting for her. She couldn't wait to see Alex again, or to give Jessica a hug, or talk to aunt Yui on the phone. No, after this experience, she would visit Yui in person. This was the sort of thing to regale face-to-face, if only to see the old priestess's astonishment first-hand.

So steeped in her own thoughts was Kou that she barely noticed her horse slowing down until they'd nearly stopped. Hazel eyes glanced back at Nuriko inquisitively. "Are we there?"

"Almost," Nuriko answered, reining the horse to a stand-still. "Chiriko requested a pit stop."

Dismounting nearby, Chiriko looked over his shoulder at the sound of his name, and blushed slightly as he hurried out of sight.

"However, now would be an opportune time for all of us to stretch out legs," Hotohori seemed to say to everyone, but Kou knew he was trying to accommodate her. Regardless, the six remaining warriors dropped from their steeds to walk the kinks out of their thighs and knees. The red-haired girl lingered by the tree-line away from the others. It wasn't as if she didn't want to spend more time with them before she left, quite the opposite. But how much more awkward would it make things? No, it seemed best to Kou if she had a quiet departure, free of any bells and whistles that might shake things up more than they already were.

Whether it was everyone's natural intuition or Chichiri's keen sense of other's moods and the ability to convince people to do as he says, no one approached Kou until it was time to leave, although Tasuki did steal a few unreadable glances her way.

Nuriko mounted his steed, cantered over to Kou, and pulled her effortlessly into the saddle. As they trotted after the other's Nuriko's silence spoke volumes.

"What is going on?" Kou asked after a few minutes when she couldn't take it anymore.

"Tasuki told me all about your fight yesterday."

Kou snorted. "Figures he would."

"Hey, I'll be the first to admit that men gossip just as much as women do," Nuriko said with a grin. "We don't make as big a spectacle out of it, though."

"What can I say? It's a talent."

Nuriko chuckled and shook his head. "He really does seem sorry for what he said. Tasuki is not the most eloquent or tactful person in the world, but he means well."

"He's a jerk," Kou countered. "He's inconsiderate, rude, hot-headed, bad tempered, and totally ignorant about the potential consequences of his words or actions."

"True, but you'll never find a more loyal or trustworthy friend. When Tasuki decides to stick by somebody, neither heaven not hell can stop him."

Kou found herself effectively silenced by those words. In all the stories her grandmother had told her, Tasuki had remained just as steadfast as the other warriors, if not more so. He had nearly died for Miaka on more than one occasion, and Kou was ready to write him off for some stupid argument? What gave her that kind of right? Suddenly, Kou felt horribly ashamed of getting so upset. It wasn't too late to fix things; she would set the record straight with him before she went home.

"Look!" Chiriko's excited voice cut through Kou's inner musings. She glanced up, and the sight before her made her gasp. An enormous summit had become visible through the mists a little ways ahead. Wisps of fog drifted lazily about, along with the strangest, largest bubbles Kou had ever seen. She could hear waterfalls that she was certain would be made of pure silver. And high up on a flat of the peak was a pagoda temple, just barely visible from her vantage point. The entire scene looked like an epic painting. It was hard for the redhead to believe it was all really there.

"Is that…?" Kou asked incompletely as awe blanketed her vocabulary.

"Mount Taikyouku," Nuriko finished with a grin. "I'm glad you can see it."

Kou was about to answer with an intelligent 'huh?' before she remembered the fail-safe mechanism on this place; only those with good in their hearts could ever see the mountain in it's true form, while those who were evil would see only wind-blown rocks. "Me, too," she responded a little absently. "It's _amazing_."

"You get used to it, na no da," Chichiri said with a fond humor as he trotted beside the two. "Taiitsukun is no doubt expecting us no da."

After a few moments, Kou surfaced from her fascination enough to think. "Say, Chichiri?" The monk quirked an eyebrow. "Is Taiitsukun really as bad as I've heard? I mean…" Kou pointed at her own face, not wanting to have to voice the rest of her embarrassing question. The magician grinned broadly.

"You can judge that for yourself."

With that said, Chichiri picked up speed, Nuriko and the others following suit. As they approached the base of the mountain, Kou could see a squat silhouette floating a few feet above the ground. Drawing closer still, the features took color and shape on the form. Gray hair was pulled back in an elaborate style, and a long ribbon defied gravity, wrapped around the figure that was facing away from them. The troupe stopped a few feet away from the person Kou was sure must be Taiistukun.

"When I felt the reappearance of Tamahome, I had to see it for myself," Taiitsukun spoke. Her voice sounded old and wise, if not a little worn by the centuries. The ancient entity at last turned around. "Welcome home."

  


tbc…

Author's Note: Sorry, sorry! I know I said this chapter would be up really soon, and I planned to have it up immediately following chapter 6 since I already had it written, but I simply haven't had the time to type it all up. I hope it was worth the wait.


	8. Chapter 8

Kou let out a startled yell and fell from her horse in surprise as Taiitsukun came into full vision. "Y- y- your _face_! (It's scary!)" she exclaimed. Taiitsukun glowered.

"Some things never change," the realm-lord muttered. "Other things, however…" Droopy, weathered eyes glanced over the girl on the floor with intense curiosity. "Come, we will discuss this inside."

As if on silent command, the odd pink bubbles moved to enclose the seven warriors, carrying them up to the pagoda set in the mountainside. Kou stifled another scream at this, clinging to Nuriko's sleeve as they rose higher and higher.

"We're all going to fall…" she wailed, much to her host's amusement.

"Only if I let you," Taiitsukun said mischievously. "So don't provoke me."

While the other six seishi seemed perfectly fine with the short journey, Kou was abjectly grateful for solid land. Still a little shaky, she followed everyone else inside the temple to a rather comfortable room where Taiitsukun seated herself on something akin to a throne.

"Sit, sit," she said. "The Nyan-Nyan will bring tea presently. And Hotohori, you can look me in the face once in a while!"

"I still cannot bear it," the young emperor said a bit dramatically, his eyes closed and his face turned away. Everyone had to bit their tongues to keep from laughing. Taiitsukun let out a loud, disapproving "Hmph," and turned her attention to Kou.

"Well," the ancient one started, "I never expected to see you again, especially as a woman. But, I suppose under the circumstances, a female form would be… advantageous."

Kou blinked dumbly, wondering if she'd missed something. "I don't understand… Look, I don't mean to impose, but I just need you to send me home. There's been some sort of mistake. I don't belong here."

"What makes you think that?"

"Well, I-" Kou paused. The answer wasn't as easy as she thought it would be. "I just don't. I'm not even from this world."

"Neither was Miaka," Taiitsukun replied with sly easiness. Kou sighed.

"Can we please leave my grandmother out of this?"

Something in Taiitsukun's eyes gleamed at the redhead's words. "That explains it." Kou was not the only one left bewildered at this point; no one seemed to have a clue except Taiitsukun.

"Explains _what_?" Kou growled with more than a hint of agitation.

Taiitsukun took a deep, contemplative breath, exhaling in almost a sigh. "You are the product of very strange circumstances. Before Tamahome, no one had ever traveled from this world to yours. Even in finding a way to traverse the rift and being reborn in your world, his soul remained bound here."

"What does that have to do with me?"

"You're his grandchild, aren't you? The offspring of two souls tied to two different dimensions. You should not exist."

"Hey, now wait a minute," Kou interjected, beginning to rise.

"Do you want to hear what I have to say or not?" barked Taiitsukun, frowning at the outburst. Slowly and reluctantly, Kou sat back down. "Thank you. It may be an ugly truth, but it is a truth nonetheless. By proxy of your grandparents, half of you _does_, in fact, belong here. And yes," the ancient continued quickly as Kou opened her mouth to speak, butting her off, "that also means that half of you belongs in the world in which you were born. But if you have been brought here, there is a reason."

The redhead chewed her lower lip in concentration. "Why… didn't this happen to my mother instead? The connection to this world must have been stronger in her."

"Who knows?" Taiitsukun replied with a shrug. "Perhaps there was no need for her."

Kou carefully thought out her words again before speaking. "But there's a need for me now?"

"I believe there is. You see, you are not the only one in your position. There is another who shares a soul with both worlds. He seems to be causing… unrest in the land."

"So that's why I'm here."

"Most likely."

Kou fell silent again. "Why do I bear the mark of Tamahome?"

"I would assume it is because Suzaku has chosen you to replace his missing star. You are descendant from his priestess and one of his warriors, and now you yourself have been selected in your grandfather's stead. You should feel blessed."

"Blessed?" Kou goggled at this. Her features had gone from contemplative intrigue to downright indignity. "_Blessed!_ Lady, you've got a severely skewed idea of what should make people happy. No, I am far from blessed." She sighed and ran a hand through her hair. Frustration and sheer stress were starting to pave the way for a major headache. "Listen, I know you've got all these aggrandized ideas of me, but I don't want any part of it. I just want to go home, graduate, get a job, and be _normal_. Please send me back."

The ancient entity regarded the girl before her. The silent anticipation of an answer had the other six seishi leaning forward, eyes wide and mouths agape. Finally, Taiitsukun spoke.

"No."

  
That single word resonated in Kou's mind, echoing again and again. Her heart felt as if it had leapt into her throat and dropped into her stomach at the same time.

"What?" she asked with a shaky, little voice.

"You have a purpose here that must be fulfilled."

"Taiitsukun, please…"

"You cannot run away from your destiny."

"I'm begging you…"

Taiitsukun paused. "Let me ask you a question- you must answer truthfully. If I were to send you back to your home world, would you return here to finish what you were summoned to do?"

Tears brimmed at Kou's eyes. Her mouth opened, then closed, her teeth gritting at the knowledge of her impending response.

"No."

Taiitsukun nodded grimly. "That is why I cannot send you back."

Kou stood up, tears falling freely now even as her features were set in fierce determination. "I will find a way home," she said defiantly. "With or without you, I _will_ find a way." With those words, she spun on her heel and stormed out of the room. The others watched her leave, dumbfounded. All, save Tasuki.

"Damn it," he growled as he rolled up to his feet and ran after her.

  
"Kou!" Tasuki shouted as he ran down the hall in search of the runaway girl. Surely she couldn't have gotten _too_ far ahead of him. Not that it mattered, really; with his speed, he'd catch up in no time.

The sound of a large door falling shut reverberated through the corridors- Kou had found the way back out of the temple. Uttering another curse, the bandit raced toward the entrance, praying to Suzaku that she wasn't going to do anything stupid.

Tasuki threw the front door open, ready to dash after the girl if he needed to. Much to his surprise, however, Kou was not doing anything stupid; she was not doing anything at all. The red-haired girl had stopped a good thirty or forty feet away from the steps and was simply standing there with her back toward the pagoda. Tasuki started tentatively down the stairs, suddenly feeling more nervous than he might have if Kou was standing at the edge of the cliff instead.

"Kou…?" he called out softly as he continued his approach. Slowly, she half-turned to the sound of her name, glancing back at the bandit. The look on her face stopped Tasuki in his tracks; it was a look of utter defeat. He couldn't speak. All intelligible thought was chased away by the helplessness in those hazel eyes and the silent tears trailing down her face.

Tasuki barely registered that Kou had begun to move before he felt her weight crush against him, hands gripping his coat and face buried against his chest. The same aura that had been screaming all day, _'stay away!'_ was now screaming, _'hold me, hold me, help me.'_

The bandit's arms fell automatically around the girl's back, embracing Kou's shaking form loosely, unsurely. What could he do? Up until now, he'd proved completely useless to the other-worlder. He couldn't let her down again, not this time.

"It's okay," he murmured, breath soft on her hair as his arms tightened around her. "We'll find a way to get you home. I promise."

  
The train blew its final departing whistle and started to move. Alex had settled into his seat just moments before, when his clothing and hair had miraculously dried just as suddenly as they had become wet. Now, with the train picking up speed and the other passengers occupying themselves for the journey, Alex pulled the Shi Jin Tenshi Sho out of his travel bag.

He still felt nervous displaying the book in public, as if people glancing at it would know its treacherous secret. Slouched down low, he opened to the page he left off on and marveled at how much had been written in the last few minutes. Alex scanned through the words quickly in search of anything important.

_'The arrived at Mount Taikyouku.'_

Hope welled up inside the boy. They'd gotten there okay! Maybe Corey was already home again! He read on in a frenzy. That hope promptly died when Alex reached the last paragraph; Taiitsukun had said no. He gripped the edges of the book so tightly that his knuckles turned white, and he suddenly jumped from his seat.

"Give her back, you stupid old hag!" he screamed. It was a few seconds later that Alex's anger abated enough for him to realize that everyone in the compartment was staring at him. His face was beet-red as he smiled sheepishly at his onlookers. "New Dean Koontz novel," he said with a nervous laugh. "He really gets you into it." Alex sat down hastily, hoping he didn't die on the spot from embarrassment.

_'Taiitsukun said no,'_ he thought morosely. There was nothing he could do now but pray that Yui Hongo had another answer.

  
Tasuki had let Kou cry in silence, not as much in an effort to be considerate as a lack of any knowledge of what to do in this kind of situation. It was with a mixture of gratitude and reluctance that he let her slide out of his embrace when she pulled away at last.

"I'm sorry," Kou murmured, wiping the wetness from her face. "I just…"

Tasuki ran a hand through his hair uncomfortably as the moment turned awkward. "Er… don't worry 'bout it." He watched as Kou cast her eyes downward and wrapped her arms around herself. She looked so desperately alone…

"I don't know how much more of this I can take." The whispered words jarred Tasuki; if he had been expecting Kou to say anything, that certainly wasn't it.

"How much more of what?" he asked cautiously. Kou lifted her gaze back to the bandit. "Loss."

High-pitched muffled voices drew the pair's attention toward the temple door and Kou moaned. "I don't want to deal with this…"

In another situation, Tasuki might have laughed. He knew full well what a nagging, gossiping, irritating bunch the Nyan-Nyan could be, and didn't blame Kou in the least for not wanting to have to face that. With hardly a moment of forethought, Tasuki seized the girl's hand in his own. "Come on," he said hurriedly and pulled her along before she could protest. No one would really worry if they weren't found yet- after all, this was the safest place in the world.

He didn't stop until they had run clear across to the other side of the temple. Hopefully, the childlike servants would decide not to pursue and let Kou have her privacy.

Presently, the girl in question was leaning against the wall to catch her breath. "Thanks," she mumbled as she drew into herself again.

Looking at her like this, she seemed so frail and small, like the weight of the world was slowly but surely crushing her. Tasuki suddenly wished Nuriko had run after her instead. At least he was good at talking about feelings and shit like that.

"So…" Tasuki said cleverly. "You… uh, you wanna talk about it?"

Kou scoffed and let a rueful grin spread across her lips. "Oh, yeah," she answered with a defined hint of sarcasm. "I'll bet you're just dying to hear about my problems."

"I'm just tryin' to help."

Hesitantly, Kou looked up, eyes searching for any signs of mockery or insincerity on the bandit's face. There was none to be found. In fact, if she didn't know better, she would have sworn he was being shy.

"You know about my grandparents already," she started quietly. "My mom and dad died… Last year, in a car accident."

"Car?"

"It's like… a carriage that drives itself."

"Oh."

"After the funeral, I was sent to live with my aunt and uncle on my father's side- mom was Miaka and Taka's only child. I thought that everything was fine. I mean, we got along well enough, and they had been really nice and everything, so I never…

"Anyway, a few months later, we were in Japan visiting my mom's best friend, whose son is my best friend, too. They dropped be off at Alex's house, said they had some errands to run… They never came back for me. For a while, I thought they had died, too, but then we found the receipt for their tickets back to America a few days later."

"They just _left_ you there?" Tasuki asked, incredulous. Kou nodded numbly. "That's pretty fucked up."

"Alex and Jessica… they're all I had left. But now…"

"Hey, I told ya we're gonna get you home and I meant it. You have my word."

In spite of herself, Kou cracked a grin. "The word of a bandit."

"Watch it," Tasuki said playfully. "Ain't you ever heard of honor among thieves?

Kou let out a tiny chuckle and shook her head. "Thanks," she murmured softly. "For listening. I don't talk about it much. It still hurts, you know? My parents were amazing people.

"Well of course," Tasuki scoffed lightly. "Yer mom came from the best stock out there." There was a pause as some unidentifiable emotion flashed across hazel eyes. Kou dropped her gaze and fidgeted idly with her hands.

"Yeah," she said mysteriously, leaving Tasuki unable to determine what the girl was feeling. She spoke again before he could ask. "We should get back to the others."

The idea to argue with that and press Kou for more details crossed Tasuki's mind, but he somehow doubted it would help. Her words had sounded more like a command than a suggestion, and had a finality about them that assured the bandit that the conversation was over. So, with a displeased sigh, Tasuki led the way back in silence.

Inside the meeting room, the five warriors and Taiitsukun were sipping at their tea. All of them looked up expectantly at the sound of the door opening, curiosity brewing in lieu of the two dour faces that met them.

"We're ready ta go back ta Konan," Tasuki grumbled, hoping his unpleasant attitude would stave off any immediate questions. Luckily, it seemed to work as the warriors set down the fine porcelain cups and filed out after saying their goodbyes to the realm-lord. Kou was the last to head for the door as a sudden throng of Nyan-Nyan rushed in to clear the mess, blocking her way momentarily. She was reaching for the door when Taiitsukun spoke.

"Tamahome."

Kou turned out of intrigue, not immediately realizing that she was the one being addressed.

"You may think me cruel for denying your request, but know this: I cannot directly interfere with the matters of this world. That is why you have been summoned instead. The world needs _you_. I hope you do not take that in vain. If there's anything else I can do to help, you may ask anytime."

Kou said nothing, but simply stared emptily at the ancient a few moments before turning and walking out the door.

  
tbc...  
Author's Note: Contrary to popular belief, I am not dead. And no, I have not given up on this story either. Unfortunately, real life events have led me to have to take drastically long hiatuses and are blocking my creativity (stress will do that to a person, I suppose). Considering the severity of my current situation, I do not see resolution anywhere in the near future, but fear not! I will continue to write for the few people who think it's worth it to read my story.  
Thank you all for your continued support. 


	9. Chapter 9

The trip back to Konan had been uncomfortably quiet. None of the warriors wanted to bring up the things that had been discussed at Taiitsukun's for fear of upsetting Kou. Not that it mattered; Kou's mood steadily deteriorated as the moments passed with nothing to do but dwell miserable. As soon as they had arrived at the palace, she slipped away from the others and promptly locked herself in her room, refusing to come out for anything. That had been seven days ago.

The warriors had each tried to coax the girl out to no avail, despite suggestions that Nuriko just knock the door down, and it seemed everyone was giving up for the time being. They still checked on her as often and brought her food, but decided that she would come out when she was ready to. There was no point in pestering.

Tasuki highly disagreed with that idea. Women, after all, had a knack for overcomplicating everything. That mixed with a seemingly mile-wide stubborn streak led the bandit to believe that someone would have to intervene before this foolishness ended.

He was sitting in the kitchen idly picking at a piece of fish he'd been snacking on when one of the servants walked in with a full platter. Tasuki, as well as the rest of the kitchen staff, looked up as she set the tray down with a sigh.

"Not again" bemoaned the chef as he eyed the untouched food.

"She didn't eat a single bite," the servant confirmed. "At least she took the milk."

Annoyance flooded the flame-haired warrior. He stood with a scowl, shoving his chair away forcefully enough to warrant surprised looks from the staff.

"Master Tasuki?" one of the cooks began to inquire, but the bandit had already stormed out of the kitchen with swift, purposeful strides.

He made his way to Kou's room and reached immediately for the handle. It was locked. "Kou!" he yelled, pounding on the door. "Open up!"

"Go away," was the quiet reply at which Tasuki only pounded harder.

"Get yer ass out over here and open the door!"

"No."

Tasuki growled and landed one last blow to the heavy oak before dropping his hands to sift through his coat. _'Aha,'_ he thought, pulling out a small box. _'There's more than one way to skin a cat.'_

Inside the room, Kou had sat up in her bed when the commotion began. Her hair lay untidily over her shoulders, her clothing wrinkled and unkempt from being slept in. When the pounding stopped, Kou moved to lay back down when another sound caught her attention. It was a small scraping noise, like metal on metal. She was still trying to identify it when there was a solid slick and the door was thrown open.

"Tasuki!" Kou cried out, too surprise to say anything else at the moment. "How-"

"You don't think I could'a become the leader of the most famous bandits in the country without knowin' how ta pick locks, do ya?" Tasuki tucked the wooden container back into his coat.

Kou frowned. "What do you want?" she asked morosely, running a hand through messy burgundy locks almost self-consciously.

"What I want," Tasuki said, crossing his arms, "is for you to stop acting like a spoiled little princess throwing a tantrum. I understand your life kinda sucks right now, but shuttin' yerself up and starvin' ain't gonna help you, and it sure as hell won't get you home."

Kou sat, speechless, fiddling with the hem of her skirt. The passive act only served to fuel Tasuki's growing irritation.

"Hey!" she exclaimed as the bandit seemed to cross the room in a single step and grabbed her by the arm. "What are you doing!"

Pulling her forcefully from the bed, Tasuki barely afforded the girl the scant few seconds it took to slip on her shoes. "Taking you out," he answered as he continued out of the room and into the hall, still holding his reluctant companion firmly.

"Tasuki- Tasuki, stop!" she cried, incredulity mixed with embarrassment as she tugged her captive arm weakly. Being behind the flame-haired fighter, she could not see the smile that arose on his face. "Let go of me!"

_'That's more like it,'_ Tasuki thought, neither releasing his grip nor slowing his pace. "Yeah, right," he scoffed aloud. "Because I really trust you not to try and ditch me if I let go."

Kou continued her hushed protestations as she was dragged out the palace doors and into the heart of the city.

"You ought'a cut that out. You're causing a scene, y'know."

Kou stopped short at Tasuki's words and looked up, suddenly aware of all the people paused in their daily work to stare at the disturbance. Her face flushed hotly, and Tasuki took the opportunity to continue tugging the girl along.

"Where are we going?" Kou asked with a sigh, walking alongside the bandit now. It was obvious she wasn't getting away, so why fight? Besides, walking was certainly preferable to being dragged.

"Somewhere to eat."

"I'm not hungry…"

Tasuki snorted. "Bullshit. You've barely had anything in a week." He glanced back and arched an eyebrow. "Am I gonna have to shove the food down your throat?"

"No!" was the immediate reply. There was little doubt in Kou's mind that Tasuki would do just that if she fought him.

"Good. Here we go." Tasuki pointed at a small hole-in-the-wall tavern-looking site.

"Are you serious? This place is a total dive!"

Tasuki made a face. "Your worshipfulness would prefer somethin' grander, free from low-lives like me?"

"I am _not_ insinuating that this place is beneath me," Kou whispered, a little frustrated.

"Good, 'cause I'll tell ya- it don't look like much, but you won't find much better cookin' in the entire country. Trust me," he said with a tiny wink. At last, he released his hold on Kou's arm as they entered, sitting down at a small table. A burly, gruff-looking man lumbered over to them. Kou stiffened at the approach, but Tasuki merely leaned back in his chair, waving a hand discreetly as if brushing off the girl's apprehension. The man stared hard at the two for a few moments before shuffling away without a single word spoken.

Hazel eyes darted between the retreating stranger and the apparently amused bandit. "What was that all about?" asked Kou, completely bewildered. Tasuki seemed to be enjoying her confusion.

"I forgot to tell you about this place's hidden charm. Ya never order, ever. That guy's the cook, an' I'll never know how he does it, but he figures out exactly what to make a person just by seeing 'em."

There was a pause.

"Don't look at me like that!" Tasuki growled. "I'm serious. You won't be disappointed."

A light frown touched to Corey's lips, eyes studying her companion with uncertain scrutiny. "I better not be. Considering you kidnapped me, I expect you to treat your hostage well."  
  


"So then- then he looks at me and says, 'Genrou, this one's eating my udon.'" Tasuki let out a raucous laugh that he'd been trying to contain during the entire story. Snorting into her sake, Kou giggled as well, shaking her head.

"Outrageous," Kou murmured upon downing the drink. "I have to meet this Koji guy someday." She paused. "This was great, Tasuki. It really was. I can't believe he made me butterfly shrimp, I haven't had it in ages."

The bandit winked. "Eh, didn't I tell ya? Exactly what ya want. Though, no matter how many times I come here, he'll never make that for _me_. I don't know what it is…"

"Maybe you just don't want it enough," Kou replied slyly, refilling her sake dish. Tasuki made a face at her.

"I gotta hit the can," he announced as he stood, but paused mid-way. "You're not gonna run out on me, are ya?"

"No way. I'm… really having a good time. Go on, I'll be right here when you get back."

Tasuki eyed the redhead for a few moments, and then finally walked away from the table, disappearing behind a curtain. The moment he was out of sight, Kou bolted for the door.  
  


_'You lied to him.'_

'Yeah, but… but he brought me out here against my will!'

'You still lied to him.'

Kou growled softly to herself, fighting the urge to smack her forehead. It probably wouldn't silence her conscience and would only make the people around her think she was crazy. Instead, she tried to distract herself with her surroundings; the busy marketplace was certainly full of things to do that with. There were so many smells, so many colors and people and things. Certainly it would be enough to stop her from thinking about Tasuki.

_'…he's going to be mad when he finds you.'_

Maybe it wasn't enough after all. Kou sighed softly, running a hand through her hair. What did she have to feel guilty for? Tasuki brought this all on himself. He wanted to get her out, well now she was out. Satisfied, at least on the surface, by that justification, Kou let her worry go. With a smile, she bent to look at an array of baubles displayed on a table. She had just begun to reach for a jeweled necklace when something slammed into her, knocking her to the ground.

"Hey!" she screamed, a jolt of pain flashing through her tailbone.

"Oh! I'm so sorry!" A pair of shockingly blue eyes peered through long blonde locks at the girl on the floor. Kou was stunned silent by the beautiful stranger. "Let me help you," he murmured sheepishly, leaning to pick the girl up. On her feet, Kou brushed herself off absently, still a little flustered. The way he was looking at her was making her blush, and she dropped her head to try hiding her embarrassment. "Are you okay?"

"I… uh, y- yeah, I'm… It wasn't really… You just… I'm fine." Kou mentally winced. _'Oh, yeah, that didn't sound at all pathetic.'_

"Good." The beautiful stranger's voice brought Kou's eyes back to his face, where a small smile alighted his features. "Sorry again," he said as he let go of the redhead and stepped away.

Kou watched him leave, still dumbstruck by the encounter. She had seen those eyes before… but where? Surely she never would have forgotten him, had they met prior to this. Curiosity picked at her until finally she gave in and set out in the direction the stranger had gone.

The search turned out to be a short one. Rounding the corner behind which the mystery man had vanished, Kou could see no evidence of him. There was only a small group of men chatting amongst themselves. Kou approached them.

"Excuse me." All eyes turned to her and the conversation died. "Sorry to bother you, but did you see a man with blond hair and blue eyes come through here?"

"Yeah," one of them said with a nod. "Went by just a minute ago."

"Did you see where he went?"

The same man who'd spoken cracked a grin. "You look a little young to be chasing after strange men."

"Did you see where he went or not?" Kou snapped, not wanting to lose any more time.

"Sure, sure, don't get upset. Follow me." He pushed away from the wall and started casually down the street. "So, what's a pretty girl like you doing all by herself?" Kou arched a suspicious eyebrow, and the man smiled nervously. "I'm not gonna pull anything, I'm just curious."

"Escaping my babysitter."

"Oh? Why's that?"

"I… I don't know." Kou bit her lip as the guilt from earlier came eking back. She had no time to say anything else before she felt something large and heavy connect with the back of her skull.

The resounding crack barely met her ears as blinding pain sent Kou sprawling to the ground. In an agonizing daze, but still conscious, she lolled her head up long enough to look at her guide and the man holding a thick wooden beam now standing beside him. Through the roaring in her ears and the spots that danced before her unfocussed eyes, she tried to make sense of what had just happened.

"I said _I_ wasn't going to pull anything," the man she had followed smiled nonchalantly as he leered down at her. "I didn't say anything about my friend here."

"I hope I didn't hit her _too_ hard. I know the boss asked us not to hurt her."

_It was a trap,_ Kou managed to realize. As the world began to fade around her, she saw a familiar face emerging behind her attackers, though she couldn't understand why he was there. "Tasuki…?"

The two must have thought their target was delirious, for neither turned at the redhead's confused mutter. It wasn't until an unknown voice asked, "Said not to hurt who, now?" that the men whipped around.

Tasuki's eyes burned with outrage, and the two thugs staggered back a couple steps at the intense expression. The man with the beam raised his weapon…

…And the fight was over before it even started as Tasuki tapped into his preternatural speed, taking out both men in a single movement. Normally, this would have been the time the bandit would start gloating smugly over his easy victory. Now… the sight of the red-haired girl lying on the ground, bordering unconsciousness, made him a little sick.

The warrior dropped to his knees and gently slid his arms beneath Kou's head and back to pull her upright. His brow furrowed when his hand touched something wet and sticky matted in the girl's hair. When Tasuki pulled his hand back, the sickness intensified at the sight of blood smeared across his digits.

"Shit," he breathed. "Kou? Kou, open your eyes." To his amazement, she did just that. Glazed, confused hazel orbs stared half-lidded into smoldering amber. "Damn stupid kid, what the hell were you thinking?" Tasuki's voice was quiet, almost tender, as he scooped the body into his arms. Kou's eyes fluttered and rolled back, her entire form going flaccid.

"Kou?" Tasuki shook her lightly. "Kou…!" She gave no response. Worry flooded the flame-haired fighter as he began racing back toward the palace. _'If you get through this all right,'_ he thought idly as he ran, _'I swear to Suzaku I'm gonna kill ya.'_  
  


The first thing Kou was aware of as she came to was the way her head throbbed perfectly in time with her heartbeat. She groaned; it had to be the worst headache she'd ever had in her life. _'And me without my motrin,'_ she thought miserably, sitting up with a heavy, vocal lament.

A hand offered Kou a cup of what smelled like mint tea, and she took it gratefully. After a few sips, she looked up; it was Tasuki.

Shit.

"Feel better?" he asked softly.

"If by 'better' you mean feeling like my head got trampled by every man, woman, child and beast in the country, then yes," Kou answered flatly.

"Why'd ya do it?" This time, Kou had no response. "Why'd you run away?" he pressed.

"I don't know…"

"Well, of course you know! You're the only one who does know! I thought we were doin' all right, and then you just bail like that. You gotta have a reason."

"I don't _know_-"

"Dammit, Kou!" Tasuki stood up and threw his chair to the side.

"You were the one who came in here and dragged me out to town!" yelled Kou, ignoring the searing pain in her brain for the time being.

"You were killing yourself. I had to do _something_ instead of standing by and watching you waste away."

"I wasn't going to die, Tasuki, I just don't eat when I'm stressed, and I like to be left alone. I would have been fine."

"But you _weren't_ fine. You weren't fine when I took you out or when I brought you back."

"If you hadn't forced me to go with you, I wouldn't have been hurt in the first place, so don't go there."

"You wouldn'ta been hurt in the first place if you'd stayed put like ya promised to!"

Kou opened her mouth to respond and promptly closed it again when her mind failed to provide another sharp comeback.

"And here we are, back at the original question," Tasuki growled. "Why?"

"Maybe being around you is nothing but an ugly reminder that I'm stuck here, like having me around reminded you all that Miaka is dead and gone."

"But we didn't hold that against you. That's not your fault; you're not Miaka."

"That's right," Kou started mockingly. "I'm nothing like her."

Tasuki glared darkly at the redhead, who stared back defiantly. The sound of a throat clearing drew both of their attention to the doorway where Nuriko stood looking slightly embarrassed.

"Thank _God_ you're here," Kou sighed.

Nuriko blinked confusedly and looked at Tasuki. "What did you do?"

"_Me!_ She-" Tasuki pointed an accusing finger at Kou- "is impossible!"

A grin split Nuriko's features. "Could it be?" he mused wistfully, tapping his chin in wonder. "A hidden attraction?"

Both of the others stared aghast at the words. Kou broke the silence first. "Attraction? To _him!_ You've _got_ to be joking."

"You're _both_ impossible," Tasuki growled as he turned to leave. "I've had enough. _You_ deal with her, I'm outta here." In the hallway, he tossed one last narrow-eyed glance toward Kou's room. "Attraction! Ridiculous."

Back inside the girls' quarters, Nuriko picked up the displaced chair and set down the tray of snacks he'd brought on the nightstand and sat.

"Sorry to have interrupted your lover's quarrel, but I had to bring you something to eat. Doctor's orders, you know, so you better scarf it all down if you don't want Mitsukake yelling at you."

Kou rolled her eyes dramatically and reached over for the bowl of rice beside her. "Oh, Nuriko, be serious- I can't stand the guy. How could you even think to call it a- _What!_ She asked finally, irked by the constant humored expression plastered on Nuriko's face.

"Nothing," he answered and sipped at a teacup to hide his smile.  
  


"I mean, the _nerve_ of that girl!" Tasuki snarled as he threw another rock into the pond Chichiri had been meditating at. The ripples smeared the colors reflected in the water, making everything indiscernible. The sight struck Tasuki as being like his life; one big, jumbled mess. He turned away. "After everything I did, and she just throws my words back in my face like this is all my fault somehow."

Chichiri listened intently, nodding his head occasionally. For a minute or two, he sat in silence, contemplating. Finally the monk looked up to his friend (who had been too wound-up to sit).

"Tasuki, why does this bother you so much?"

"Because I-" The bandit stopped short when the words didn't come. "Well, I-" he tried again, frowning darkly at the other's little smile. "You've been talking to Nuriko, haven't you?"

Chichiri just laughed.  
  


tbc…

Author's Note: Mwahaha! Nine chapters to get even a _hint_ of romantic interest. This must be a record. Anyway, I feel like I'm really behind in submitting chapters. I've got two more completed, and have started on another. Getting time on the computer has become difficult, to say the least, so I will do my best to get the continuation of this story up as soon as possible. Seeing as how I'm currently at work on chapter twelve and have just now managed to scratch the surface of the story, this is going to be monstrously huge. Sorry.

On a side note, I found my old account, and will be transferring my old stories to this account (after some heavy editing- after all, I have improved a little bit over the last three plus years) in case anyone wants to give my other stories a chance. If any of you who _are_ interested don't want to have to bother checking, I'll put an alert in the A.N. of a future chapter of this story after the transfer is complete.


	10. Chapter 10

The next few days passed without incident, but the tension in the palace managed to increase exponentially. Kou and Tasuki could not be found in the same room at the same time, and when they were (usually for meals only), it was with an uncomfortable, awkward silence.

"This is getting absurd," Nuriko said, earning an agreeable nod from each of the others. Chichiri, Hotohori, Chiriko and Mitsukake had met up with the effeminate warrior upon his private request. "And it's got to stop."

"But how, is the question," said the monk contemplatively. "They're both so stubborn, na no da…"

"And just talking to them separately does not seem to be working," Hotohori chimed in, rubbing his chin in concentration.

Mitsukake smirked. "We could beat them both over the head until it knocks some sense into them." The others couldn't help smiling along at that.

"If we could just get the two of them together, we might be able to get them to sort this out," Nuriko murmured; trying to formulate a full plan that wouldn't end in certain failure was harder than it sounded.

"_If_ we could get them to speak," grumbled Mitsukake.

"Speak?" Chichiri asked with a little laugh. "Just getting them to _look_ at each other would be a miracle at this point, no da."

"Without glaring," Hotohori amended.

"Come on, guys," Nuriko pleaded. "We're the Suzaku Shichiseishi. How bad is it going to look for us if, after all we've faced and overcome, after helping restore peace to the entire world, after coming back from the _dead_, we can't get two headstrong kids to get along?"

Silence settled as everyone in the room actually pondered the point. It was Nuriko who broke the quiet, as usual.

"Chiriko, you haven't said a word. You're supposed to be the prodigy here, what do you think?"

"I'm not sure," the young warrior started slowly. "There are merits and flaws to every plan I can conceive, and none of them have a definite positive outcome. Too much is reliant upon the idea the both Kou and Tasuki will comply, and that's unsafe to assume. I mean, it's not like we can just lock them in a room together until they agree to cooperate…"

The four other faces lit up all at once.

"Chiriko," Nuriko said with a wide grin, "you _are_ a genius. I'll handle Kou. Chichiri, do you think you can get Tasuki?"

"Da!"

Chiriko looked around, taken aback a little by the mischievous expressions on his friends' faces. "You're not serious, are you?!" he asked, but Nuriko and Chichiri were already out the door.

Kou had been easy enough to find. As luck would have it, the redhead was wandering through the hallways after a quick trip to the kitchen. Nuriko had easily swept the girl up in conversation and led her along after telling her Hotohori wanted to speak with her. It seemed wrong to lie, but Nuriko could think of nothing else that would get her to the room he and the others had set up without rousing suspicion.

After guiding Kou to the room in question, the effeminate warrior smiled sweetly and excused himself with the offer to see what was keeping Hotohori. Outside, with the door firmly shut, Nuriko had to bite down on a knuckle to keep from laughing. All that was left to do now was wait for his co-conspirator to arrive.

  


Tasuki proved slightly more difficult to track down. After checking out the bandit's favorite palace haunts, Chichiri found him lounging on a low branch on one of the trees in the central courtyard.

"Whaddya want?" Tasuki growled as the monk approached.

"Kou sent me no da," the other lied quickly. "She wants to talk to you and apologize, but couldn't find you. So I came looking na no da."

Tasuki sat up from his reclined position, surprise etched across his features. "Really?! About damn time." He hopped down and gave Chichiri an obliging nod. "Lead the way."

Beneath the mask, Chichiri smiled wider than the illusion ever could.

  


The barely audible sound of approaching footsteps echoed down the corridor, making Nuriko jittery as they reached his ears. It was game time. He put up the most casual expression he could manage in his excitement, leaned idly against the wall, and pretended to be very interested in his fingernails. As Tasuki and Chichiri came into sight out of the corner of his eye, Nuriko turned his head toward them nonchalantly.

"Hey," he called out easily with a wave.

"What are you doing here?" Tasuki asked, his voice laced with mild skepticism. Nuriko balked for a split second, kicking himself mentally for not having spent his time coming up with an excuse.

"Just making sure she doesn't run away again." The words had come naturally, and Nuriko smiled at just how true his answer had been.

Tasuki made a face at his violet-haired friend. "That's not funny."

"We should get on with it, don't you think no da?" Chichiri's smile nearly faltered; this was no time for sarcastic remarks and other assorted monkeyschnicks. They had to get Tasuki into the room, and they had to do it fast.

Nuriko nodded, flashing the monk an apologetic smile before opening the door.

Kou was seated inside on a bench lined with overstuffed throw pillows, and looked up at hearing the door open. The pleasant smile that had been on her face instantly vanished at the sight of the orange-haired warrior standing there.

"What's _he_ doing here?" she asked contemptuously. Tasuki's features fell as well at those words.

"What do you mean? I thought-" Realization dawned on the bandit. He wheeled around to face the two warriors behind him. "What the hell is going on here?"

Instead of an answer, Nuriko shoved Tasuki into the room and slammed the door shut.

"Nuriko!" Tasuki yelled as he grabbed for the knob. It was locked. He pounded on the door and let out a string of obscenities that made Kou blush slightly behind him.

"I'm sorry," Nuriko called from the other side, "but this is for your own good."

"We'll let you go when you two have worked things out, no da."

"And don't bother trying to escape. I've blocked off any exit you can think of."

Tasuki shouted a final expletive, kicking the door for good measure. He ran a frustrated hand through his hair and reluctantly turned to face the red-haired girl, who seemed just as flabbergasted as he was. "Nice going," he growled.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Kou snapped. Her features had gone instantly from scandalized to angry.

"This is all your fault!"

"_My_ fault?! This all started when you broke into my room and practically dragged me off like some caveman."

"No, this all started when I saved your ass after you ditched me and you decided to get pissy with me about it."

Kou gritted her teeth. "Look, we've had this fight already, and now your inability to apologize has gotten us locked up."

"My-" Tasuki faltered indignantly. "Why should _I_ apologize?! I didn't do a damn thing to feel sorry for!"

"Then we have nothing to talk about." With that said, Kou jerked her head away, turning on the bench so her back was facing the fuming bandit.

"You are such a pain in the ass!" Kou didn't give the slightest indication or a response. "_Arg!_"

In the hallway, Chichiri and Nuriko exchanged glances. "This is going well, no da."

  


A few hours later, lunch was delivered to the makeshift holding cell, pushed through the space under the door. Not a single word had been exchanged between the two occupants of the room. However, the tension seemed to be alleviated ever so slightly in absence of pressing hunger. Kou was still comfortably splayed on the cushioned bench, and Tasuki had seated himself on a chair on the opposite side of the room. Picking at the last of his rice, he cast a furtive glance at the redhead.

She had a coldly aloof atmosphere around her that almost bordered on regally snobby, like a queen trapped with the filthiest of her servants. Or, at least, that's how Tasuki saw it. And with that thought, he couldn't help but wonder if Kou saw it the same way.

Finally, the flame-haired warrior broke the silence. "We're never gonna get out of here at this rate."

"Hn," Kou replied noncommittally, still studying her bowl.

Tasuki took a slow, deep, irritated breath. "You could at least pretend like it bothers you."

"Whatever."

"Why are you acting like this?"

"Like what?" Kou's voice had a glib edge to it that rattled the last of Tasuki's nerves.

"Like you're some scandalized victim! Like you're totally helpless and without any blame for whatever happens to you!" That got her attention. Hazel eyes smoldered with indignity as they snapped, narrowed, to Tasuki. Kou opened her mouth to speak, but was cut off as Tasuki quickly continued. "You're so set on getting an apology? Fine. What I did was wrong. I shouldn't have forced you out, even if it was with good intentions. But you could'a gotten yourself _killed_ in the alleyway, and that was your decision. Why can't ya just take responsibility for that?"

Kou's eyes continued to burn, but the fire was lit by a different emotion now. "Did it ever occur to you that I realize I messed up? Since we're being honest and all, yes, I have to own up to that. I made a stupid choice, and I'm really humiliated by it, and I hoped to avoid this whole situation until things blew over, but you couldn't let that happen, could you? You had to press from an answer just for your own smug satisfaction. Well there it is. Are you happy now?"

"Why couldn't you have just said all this _before_ he got locked up?"

"I was embarrassed, all right? God forbid the stupid teenager offspring of the almighty Priestess of Suzaku be fallible or let pride get the better of her."

"Are you kidding me?! I can't count the number of times Miaka ran off on her own for some stupid reason or another. She was as impulsive as they come. If anything, I understand where you get that part of yourself."

Tasuki's words seemed to have taken Kou by surprise; whatever response she had been expecting, that wasn't it. Her eyes dropped from the bandit's face where she had stared for a moment in fleeting disbelief.

"If you understand it, why couldn't you let it go?"

"Because it still frustrated the hell out of me." A lopsided grin spread across Tasuki's face, features tired, weary, but a little amused.

Kou took in the expression and words thoughtfully, mulling over them before she spoke again. "Why do we keep ending up here? Fighting, then making up, then fighting again…"

"Pro'lly 'cause you're as stubborn as your grandma, but nowhere near as bubble-headed and optimistically forgiving."

"For your sake, I'll take that as a compliment." Kou smiled when Tasuki chuckled at her comment, eyeing him curiously as he rose from his chair. He swished across the room and stopped at the bench-side, extending his arm.

"Truce?"

Hazel orbs studied the proffered hand for a few seconds. Slowly, Kou reached out and gingerly took it. "Truce… So, what happens now?"

"Now," Tasuki began thoughtfully as he leaned against the table in the center of the room, "we wait for someone to come open the damn door. After that, it's up to you. I meant what I said back at the old hag's place- if you wanna go home, I'll help you if I can."

Kou faltered a little and gratitude tugged her lips upward. "That means a lot to me. I'm serious!" she added at Tasuki's cynical look. "It's not going to be easy, so I'll appreciate any help I can get. And no, that wasn't an insult."

"Is there even a way without going through that old fossil?"

"There has to be. I know the book that brought me and the priestesses here only acts as a one-way portal… Wait!" Kou perked up. "Didn't Taiitsukun say there's someone else here like me? Half in this world, half in the other?"

"Uh…"

"Whoever it is must have gotten here another way, since the only copy of the Shi Jin Tenshi Sho has been in my family for the last three generations. But without the book to act as a doorway, how could someone travel between worlds?" Kou rose to her feet and began pacing contemplatively. "The only other way I remember from grandma's story was through a wish, but that could only be done by a priestess, and all the priestesses have come and gone…"

"Hey, who says this other person has to be a girl?" Tasuki interjected. Kou stopped pacing and looked up.

"No one… But there's never been a boy brought to this world."

"There ain't never been a person taken _out_ of this world, either, before Tama- er, Taka."

Kou paused. "That's a good point." Absently, she tapped a finger against her lips as she thought. After a few minutes, she sighed. "I just don't know. I'm half tempted to go find this person and ask."

"That _is_ an option, y'know," Tasuki said slowly, cautiously. "I mean, if this person is here in Konan and starts trouble like the old hag said he would, we're gonna hafta go after him anyway."

"Tasuki…"

"I'm just sayin'. Kill two birds with one stone."

There was an uncomfortable moment before Kou spoke again. "I don't want to fight… I'm… afraid that I'll be one of those birds."

The bandit opened his mouth to retort, but stopped. The foremost thought in his head was how Miaka had never been afraid to meet a challenge, no matter how dangerous, head-on. But then again, Miaka had never seemed entirely cognizant of her own mortality. It was like she thought herself indestructible, and somehow manifested that idea into reality through sheer force of will. Kou, on the other hand… she had suffered witness to the death of her entire family, and then been told, in the actions of her aunt and uncle, that her own life was worthless. It was no wonder that she had a fear of dying.

Kou lifted startled hazel eyes to Tasuki's at the unexpected pressure of his hand weighing down on her shoulder. "We're not gonna let that happen, a'right?"

"…All right," she murmured back. The hand gave a gentle squeeze.

"'Course, it won't be easy with such a stubborn brat to look after."

Kou's eyes glinted playfully. "No, but I suppose I'll find a way to manage you."

"Snot."

"Ass."

For the first time in weeks, perhaps longer, Kou and Tasuki shared a comfortable silence. It was in this quiet that they heard the muffled sounds of approaching feet and hushed voices.

"It's awfully quiet in there no da."

"You don't think they might have really gotten into it and killed each other or something, do you?"

"No, I still sense them both no da. It's more likely they just beat each other unconscious. Unless they're just trying to trick us into opening the door, na no da."

"At least that would mean they were working together."

"Just open the door!" the two redheads called out in unison. There was a jingling of keys, the click of a lock, and the heavy wooden door swung in. As soon as the older seishi came into view, a wave of fire washed over them. Kou gaped at the singed, smoking forms before looking up at Tasuki, who had his tessen in hand and a satisfied grin on his face. Without a word, the bandit took Kou by the hand and led her out of the room.

Nuriko coughed. Chichiri sneezed, a layer of ash exploding around him.

"That was interesting, no da."

"How so? Tasuki does that all the time."

"I didn't mean the fire, no da."

Nuriko brushed the cinders from himself and quirked an eyebrow. "What, then?"

Chichiri had removed his mask to wipe the singe marks away. He looked up to his friend, the one good eye gleaming softly to match the smile on his lips.

"They were holding hands."

  


tbc…

Author's Note: I'M NOT DEAD!!! And the story isn't dying out, either. Life, as usual, is tumultuous at best, which makes it difficult to update. I am sorry for the outrageous delay, especially since I've written a few chapters ahead of what's posted here. I've recently suffered a nasty few-week bout of writer's block, though, so I suppose it evens out in the end. I will try diligently to get those chapters I have written posted as soon as I can, and hope to get ahead some more in the chapter I am currently working on.

To those few who actually read this, thank you for your patience. I do hope I make it worth your time.

-Pengu


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